Tina Davies, our new BACSA Events Officer, has supplied details of this fascinating exhibition at Hampton Court Palace, which runs until 29 September:
‘Hampton Court Palace is currently hosting an Exhibition entitled ‘The Indian Army at the Palace – The forgotten story of the Indian Army Camps at Hampton Court Palace’, which details the experiences of those soldiers from the Indian Army who camped at Hampton Court on various occasions in the early 20th century.
The soldiers were invited to join the coronation celebrations of three British monarchs – Edward VII (1902), George V (1911) and George VI (1937), and also the peace parades in 1919 after the ending of World War I. The reactions of the press and the public to the presence of these soldiers is also described.
This unique project brings together, for the first time, items on loan from the descendants of those within the camps and the Historic Royal Palaces collection.
Included is a rare charity pin badge as sold by the suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh (daughter of the deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh of Lahore), to raise funds for the Indian Army during WWI.
A self-guided tour of the Exhibition, which is open Wednesday to Sunday until 29th September 2024, would take approximately 45 minutes – the rest of Hampton Court Palace and gardens is also open to the public.
Pall Mall Gazette, 15 Aug 1902
For further details about the exhibition please see the Hampton Court Palace website.’
Tina Davies, BACSA Events Officer
(Suggestions for BACSA website news items are always welcome – please send them to ‘comms@bacsa.org.uk’. Rachel Magowan, Editor)