Princess Anne makes a royal visit to Cornwall
The Princess Royal was shown around the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth
Last updated 17th Sep 2020
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has been on an official visit to the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, to celebrate the 'most ambitious' exhibition in the Museum’s history.
Princess Anne was welcomed by Simon Sherrard, Chairman of Trustees and given a tour of Monsters of the Deep by Stuart Slade, Head of Public Programming. Her Royal Highness also met a selection of the Museum’s staff, volunteers and key contributors.
Monsters of the Deep explores the history of scientific exploration, set against our persistent fascination with sea monsters. It showcases a number of internationally significant artefacts, including the Hortus Sanitatis, the world’s first natural history encyclopaedia, printed in 1491. Here The Princes Royal also had the chance to see rare maps and globes on loan from national museum collections.
"It is one of National Maritime Museum Cornwall's strategic aims to bring important artefacts, and the stories they tell, to new and diverse audiences in Cornwall, many of whom are unable to travel out of the region to see and appreciate them. It was wonderful to share these objects with The Princess Royal and discuss our plans."
Stuart Slade, National Maritime Museum
Throughout the tour, Her Royal Highness was introduced to some of the arts, science and technology partners that helped create the new exhibition.
Parc Signs, local fabricators based in St Austell, informed The Princess Royal of their involvement, including the creation of a large scale big-top tent – an immersive experience where visitors take part in a ‘PT Barnum style’ side show and are introduced to ‘real’ mermaids.
Her Royal Highness was also introduced to some of the team from Kresen Kernow who have lent the Elerkey Estate Atlas for the exhibition. The Atlas depicts a mermaid just off Cornish shores. The Princess Royal learnt of the important partnership between the two organisations as well as National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s ambition to bring Cornish artefacts to larger audiences.
The Princess Royal met Dr Darren Naish, a leading zoologist, palaeontologist and Guest Curator for Monsters of the Deep. Dr Naish discussed his area of personal and academic interest - the story of cryptozoology and our fascination with unexplained and mystery monster sightings.
Professor Edward Hill and Dr Tammy Horton from National Oceanography Centre introduced The Princess Royal to a section called ‘Meet the Real Monsters of the Deep’ which features over 500 deep sea specimens and samples from their Discovery Collection, a globally important research collection that enables scientists and oceanographers to expand our understanding of the deepest parts of the ocean.
Originally due to open in March 2020, Monsters of the Deep opened in late July due to lockdown restrictions caused by Covid-19.