Relics of Richard II, National Portrait Gallery

by Judith FlandersThursday, 18 November 2010

Box containing relics from the tomb of Richard IICopyright National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is a national treasure. Not because it has nice pictures (although it does have that too), but because it has the most amazing archive. An archive that is, almost literally, a treasure trove. It is, of course, out of sight and therefore out of mind to the casual visitor. But for a history buff, there is a visceral thrill knowing that there are a million or so objects (the number is give-or-take), many of them only superficially catalogued. Anything may turn up.

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