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In Fine Style

This fascinating and sumptuously illustrated book celebrates the world of high fashion in the Tudor and Stuart period.

SIMON VERELST (1644-1721)

Mary of Modena (1658-1718), when Duchess of York

c.1675

Oil on canvas | 126.6 x 103.4 cm (support, canvas/panel/str external) | RCIN 404920

This portrait, dated c. 1675, depicts Mary dressed in a richly embroidered riding habit. In the collections of James II and Queen Anne it is recorded next to a companion portrait of James by Verelst which is no longer in the Royal Collection. The painting was presumably painted for the Duchess or her husband, James, Duke of York, later James II. James, Duke of York married Mary of Modena in 1673, after the death of his first wife, Anne Hyde in 1673. James II succeeded his brother Charles II in 1685, however, the Royal Couple’s fervent Catholicism made them unpopular, and in 1688 Mary and her baby son, James, fled to France, followed shortly by the King. Mary never returned to England, and her son was never able to claim the throne.

    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.