Shropshire Star

Needlework team has Duchess of Cornwall in stitches

The embroidered portrait will be on display at a new exhibition.

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Duchess of Cornwall in embroidery

The Duchess of Cornwall will come face to face with her stitched portrait when she opens a new exhibition.

Camilla is expected to meet the team who created the hand-embroidered portrait when she visits the Royal School of Needlework (RSN).

It is one of the highlights of the exhibition, Faces & Figures In Stitch, which the duchess will launch.

Camilla is patron of the RSN, and the portrait is based on a photograph taken of her during her first visit to the school in November 2017.

It will be displayed alongside 100 other embroideries,  including notable figures from history such as Henry VIII and William Shakespeare, as well as famous faces like Nelson Mandela and David Bowie.

The portrait of Camilla was created by the RSN’s expert Embroidery Studio using a historic technique called Blackwork, a form of tonal needlework using just one colour of thread to create different geometric patterns and stitches.

A team of three embroiderers including RSN tutor Rachel Doyle came together to make the work.

The RSN explained: “The RSN Embroidery Studio stitched the dress in inverted Waffle; the face and neck in expanded Octagonal Square and the hair was a combination of interlocking Z’s and Zigzag stitch.  The textures and shading were created by using different thicknesses of threads.

“The RSN prides itself on its high standards and world class skills which enable them to work on a multitude of projects at any given time.

Duchess of Cornwall in embroidery
Rachel Doyle, an expert embroiderer at work on the portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall (Royal School of Needlework/PA)

“A total of three studio embroiderers worked on the portrait of the Duchess of Cornwall and the transition between each embroiderer is seamless.”

RSN chief executive Dr Susan Kay-Williams said: “Our Embroidery Studio team worked hard on the preparation, firstly choosing the right image and then sampling the stitches beforehand.

“We are delighted that the Duchess of Cornwall is able to view the finished piece up close and that we can also share it with visitors to our new exhibition.”

Camilla will see the portrait on September 5 when she visits the RSN’s Embroidery Studios, at Hampton Court Palace.

The exhibition, which includes additional pieces by RSN students and from the RSN’s unique Textile Collection. opens on September 24 and runs until March 19.

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