A PAINTING from Bradford Council’s Museums and Galleries collection will form a major part of a new display at Kensington Palace to mark the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth.

The display entitled ‘Victoria: A Royal Childhood opened yesterday, exactly 200 years after Princess Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, and is situated in the very suite of rooms Victoria called home.

The painting, which depicts the coronation of Queen Victoria at Westminster Abbey, has been painstakingly restored thanks to a donation by Historic Royal Palaces – the independent charity which cares for Kensington Place – and the Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums who have made a contribution towards a new frame for the painting.

The picture ‘The Coronation of Queen Victoria’ is by Edmund Thomas Parris (1793-1873). Parris was a painter, book illustrator, designer and art restorer who was appointed history painter to Queen Adelaide, the Queen Consort of King William IV, who Queen Victoria succeeded in 1837.

The newly restored painting is displayed in the new semi-permanent display alongside some of the clothing and jewellery that the Queen is wearing in the painting.

The painting has been painstakingly restored by Harrogate-based painting conservator David Everingham, who spent five months bringing the artwork back to life.

The first stage of the restoration included consolidating any flaking paint to prevent further loss and the removal of surface dirt and discoloured varnish.

It was found that many of the delicately painted faces had been over-painted and this over-painting was removed.

An old degrading lining canvas (the textile support to the original canvas) was also removed and glue residues scraped from the back. A new modern polyester textile lining was then attached to the original canvas to provide better long-term support.

After re-stretching the lined canvas, an isolating varnish was applied so that all new additions are physically distinct from original material. Losses of paint were then filled and textured with putty and the work of retouching the painting began. Lastly, final layers of varnish were applied to achieve a unified satin finish.

The painting was re-framed in a bespoke gilt frame to match the grandeur of the occasion depicted in this magnificent painting.

The Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums will be taking a special trip to London to see the painting at the exhibition, and as a thank you for their contribution to the restoration of the painting they will be granted special access to the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection archives at Kensington Palace.

Maggie Pedley, Libraries, Museums and Galleries Manager at Bradford Council, said: “I’m delighted that a painting from our collection has been chosen to be such a major part of this important exhibition at Kensington Palace, the place where Queen Victoria was born and which played a central role in shaping this important monarch.

“I’d like to thank Historic Royal Palaces and our Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums group for their donations which have meant that this beautiful painting could be restored and have a frame that befits its magnificence. An important painting that had previously been un-showable has now been secured a new lease of life.”

Trustees of the Friends of Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, said: "We are proud to have been able to contribute to the restoration of this important picture."

Claudia Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to include Edmund Thomas Parris’ extraordinary depiction of Queen Victoria’s Coronation in our new display, Victoria: A Royal Childhood. Parris’ sweeping panorama offers the viewer a wonderful rendition of both the intimacy and spectacle of this momentous occasion. His remarkable ability to capture details of character and costume makes this both an important historical source and a compelling piece of story-telling to help bring this most personal of public moments to life for our visitors. We are very grateful to Bradford Museums and Galleries for making the loan possible and are thrilled to have been able to contribute to the conservation and framing of this important artwork.

David Everingham who has restored the painting, said: “It was a special privilege to see Queen Victoria, the Duke of Wellington, Bishops, family and her extensive entourage come to life after years submerged beneath years of grime and yellow varnish. Should members of the Royal Family have the opportunity to see the painting I hope that they feel their ancestors have been honoured."