Speaker: Oliver Everett
7 June 2016
The British Royal Collection remains unsurpassed in its extensive holding of early 19th century gold and silverware.
The enormous breadth and richness of this silver and gold collection today is primarily due to the concentrated efforts of George IV and the royal goldsmiths and jewellers, Rundell, Bridge and Rundell.
From 1804, the future King George IV started collecting his Grand Service of Banqueting Plate which, by the time he died in 1830, comprised of over 4,000 pieces.
O;over illustrates and highlights items from this remarkable collection. He describes the grand palatial settings which George IV when Prince of Wales, Prince Regent and King, to display his collection and shows other significant pieces of Royal gold and silverware.
Profile
Oliver Everett was educated at Cambridge University and did post graduate work at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University USA and at the London School of Economics.
Following service in the Foreign Office, including postings in India and Spain, he was Assistant Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales 1978-80 and then Private Secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales 1981-83.
He was Librarian in the Royal Library, Windsor Castle 1984-2002 and he is now Librarian Emeritus following his retirement in 2002.
Oliver wrote the official guidebook and audio tour on Windsor Castle, taught a course on its history and advised on a television programme about it. He has written articles on the Royal Library and has helped with two books on aspects of the Royal Collection. He is advising on a possible history series for television. He lectures widely in Britain and abroad and also on cruise ships.