Camilla tours ‘fantastic’ art studios after daughter’s recommendation
The Queen indulged her love of art when she toured a building housing art studios – thanks to a recommendation from her daughter.
Camilla visited the workspaces and met an eclectic mix of painters, sculptors and modern artists after Laura Lopes told her about the “fantastic” Kindred Studios in west London she had seen during an open day.
Meanwhile, the King has returned to Sandringham after spending just over 24 hours at his London home, Clarence House.
It is thought Charles visited the capital for his latest bout of cancer treatment following the announcement of his diagnosis last week.
Camilla is expected to remain in London because she is hosting a reception to mark the 100th anniversary of the Poppy Factory on Thursday.
As she walked around Kindred Studios, previously used as accommodation by a homeless charity, the Queen told one artist: “It was Laura who told me about this, she said it was so fantastic -‘You’ve got to have a look’.”
Among the works on display in the entrance hall were imaginatively quirky pieces by Cordelia Plunket, mother of Camilla’s equerry, Major Ollie Plunket.
Plunket uses taxidermy to recreate scenes from popular culture, and the Queen marvelled at a recreation of the famous Beatles Abbey Road album cover, with the Fab Four replaced with 12in high figures with bird heads.
“You’ve got Ringo here, and George,” said Camilla as she peered at the work through the glass case.
Another piece replicated artist Tracey Emin’s My Bed, which the Queen recognised, complete with a bird asleep under a miniature duvet and detritus on the floor.
The artist said later: “All of my work is based on iconic moments in time, whether it’s music or film or fashion, and I work exclusively with ethically-sourced animals.
“And basically my whole thing is to bring a little bit of humour back into taxidermy – it makes it a little bit less scary – and try and put a smile on people’s faces and give life back to these wonderful animals.”
Another work graphically recreated a spaghetti western style shootout between two mice based on the films A Fistful Of Dollars and No Country For Old Men.
Kindred Studios is based in Shepherds Bush and has occupied two other London buildings since 2015. It provides affordable spaces for artists in properties between uses, increasing security for an otherwise empty building and bringing creative life to an area.
The Queen was drawn to a painting of her step-granddaughter Princess Charlotte by Mercedes Carbonell, who had created her version of a photograph released to mark the young royal’s second birthday in 2017.
The artist said: “The Queen liked it very much, I think Charlotte looks like Queen Elizabeth in the photograph.”
When Camilla met conservator Piran Harte in his workshop she seemed impressed by his studio crammed with wooden projects and said: “I can send you a few pieces”.
She was told how he reassembled a late 19th century Burmese wooden throne, now on display at the British Museum, that arrived in pieces and replied: “That must have been a labour of love.”
