CONSERVATION CASE STUDY

Conserving Buckingham Palace's gilded dragons

Uncover the secret past of these majestic dragons.

A gold and green dragon shaped object
Buckingham Palace dragon (RCIN 642) ©
A standing man holds a paintbrush with gold leaf onto a dragon object.
A conservator adding gold to one of the dragonsCopyright: Royal Collection Enterprises Limited

Beneath layers of gold, a pair of majestic dragons reveal a forgotten story. 

Originally carved for the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and later moved to the Centre Room Lobby at Buckingham Palace, these mythical guardians underwent conservation as part of the Reservicing Programme at the Palace.

Watch as our conservator peels back paint and gilding to uncover hidden historical glazes, mysterious fixing points and clues to the dragons’ past. 

The dragons are now back on display in the Centre Room Lobby at Buckingham Palace, which you can visit as part of our East Wing Tours.

Buckingham Palace's gilded dragons Copyright: Royal Collection Enterprises Limited

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Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection, one of the world’s great art collections. Income from your visit helps us to conserve and share the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they are.