The National Portrait Gallery is a fascinating visit, even for non-Brits who know nothing about English history or the country’s notable personalities. Here, I’m going to highlight just two of the many portraits in the Gallery — the accomplished Queen Anne and a young Prince Harry.
I’m showcasing Henry, Prince of Wales, here to talk about male fashion. In earlier centuries, wearing hose was desirable to show off shapely legs. The tunics over the hose kept get shorter and shorter. In the 16th century, tunics got so short that England actually had to pass a law forbidding bare buttocks. (They weren’t actually bare, they were covered with tights similar to today’s women’s leggings, but it was controversial then, too.). I saw a number of portraits where the leggings are accompanied by a decorative band or garter on the left leg, as you see here. This portrait was painted by Robert Peake the Elder c. 1610. Sadly, Prince Henry never became king. He died (likely of typhoid fever) at the age of 18.
This is Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714. She was the first female monarch to reign alone in England since Queen Elizabeth I some 140 years earlier. Although her reign was only a dozen years, she had some major accomplishments, primarily the Act of Union in 1707, which brought England and Scotland together as Great Britain. Several wars were raging in Europe during her reign, and she presided over the Treaty of Ultrecht in 1713, which brought some peace to Europe.
Her personal life was more tragic. Queen Ann was married to Prince George of Denmark and endured 17 — yes, SEVENTEEN pregnancies. Only one child lived beyond infancy and he died at the age of 11. Perhaps worn out by all that childbearing, Queen Ann died in 1714. She was only 49.
The National Portrait Gallery advertises itself as being “About people, for people.” It holds some 220,000 works from the 16th century to the present, including paintings, drawings, miniatures, sculptures, and photographs. The Gallery is located on St. Martin’s Place in London, near Trafalgar Square. The closest Tube stops are Leicester Square and Charing Cross. It’s open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30am to 6:00pm and on Friday and Saturday from 10:30am to 9:00pm. Admission is free, although there may be a small charge for special exhibitions. Donations, of course, are always welcome.