Lake District: Princess of Wales showcases Beatrix Potter’s art

The Princess, who shares a distant family connection with the creator of Peter Rabbit, chose a watercolour painting of a forest glade by Beatrix to feature in her Makers and Creators exhibit – one of more than 100 mini displays nestled into the museum’s innovative, open-access storage space.

Alongside the painting is a childhood photograph album belonging to Rupert Potter, Beatrix’s father, offering visitors a personal glimpse into the early family life of the renowned storyteller and conservationist whose legacy remains deeply tied to the Lake District.

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The Princess is distantly related to Beatrix through Dr. Arthur Lupton (her great-great-great uncle), whose brother-in-law was Lord Ashton of Hyde – a first cousin of Beatrix Potter.

Her stories appear to hold sentimental and symbolic value for the family as Prince George’s first birthday party in 2014 was themed around Beatrix Potter.

Guests reportedly received themed decorations and party favours and his nursery was decorated with her illustrations.

A closer look at the childhood photograph album belonging Rupert Potter (Image: David Parry) The Princess, who is Royal Patron of the V&A, worked closely with the museum’s curators to handpick objects from its vast collections that celebrate makers of the past and explore how historical creativity continues to influence modern fashion, design, art and performance.

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Other items in the display include:

• A costume designed by Oliver Messel for the Royal Ballet’s 1960 production of The Sleeping Beauty

• A hand-quilted bedcover made in Wales circa 1830–40

• A Morris & Co. furnishing screen from the mid-1880s

• An oil painting by Anglo-American artist George Henry Boughton

• A Qing dynasty porcelain vase from 17th-century China

• A sculpture by Clemence Dane representing the artist’s hands

• A 15th-century earthenware tile from South Cadbury Church in Somerset

Oliver Messel’s Fairy of the Woodland Glades costume,  a watercolour by Beatrix Potter and childhood photograph album belonging to her father, Rupert Potter (Image: David Parry) The Princess’s Makers and Creators exhibit forms part of the V&A East Storehouse’s mission to make its collections radically more accessible. Built into the structure of the working museum store itself, these displays are designed to remove barriers between visitors and the objects, offering a fresh and engaging way to interact with the national collection.

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During her visit to the site, the Princess was given a behind-the-scenes tour, met with curators and staff and learned about the museum’s Order an Object service, which allows anyone to request to view items in the collection, free of charge, seven days a week.

The Princess of Wales’s display is open to the public now and will remain on view as part of the V&A East Storehouse’s self-guided experience until early 2026.