Lunchtime Lecture: The Taste and Paintings Collection of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

The Palace of Holyroodhouse is hosting a lunchtime lecture on Friday 23 October, with Alex Buck, Assistant Curator of Paintings, talking through the art collection of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. It runs from 13:00 to 14:00, so it's a proper hour-long session that fits into a lunch break if you're working nearby.

Buck's talk focuses on the paintings the royal couple acquired and how their personal journeys shaped their tastes and what they ended up collecting. It's not just a list of what they bought, but a look at the people behind the purchases and how their lives influenced what they brought home.

The lecture is part of a wider run of events around The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, the exhibition that runs from 24 April to 6 December 2026. That one takes in the glitzy world of Britain's most fashionable royal couples, with gallery talks and another lecture on Edwardian entertainment and costume balls. Buck's talk sits alongside it, focusing on the paintings side of things.

Buck is an Assistant Curator of Paintings at the Royal Collection Trust, which looks after the Royal Collection, one of the world's great art collections. The lecture is at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on the Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX, and tickets are £6.00 for adults. Booking is essential, so you'll need to get your spot sorted in advance.