Royal School of Needlework

Find out more about us - come on an RSN tour

We welcome private groups (up to 20 people) and individuals to view items from the RSN's extensive Collection of textiles and paper archives, which are rarely seen by the public.  Whenever possible we also display work done by our Certificate, Diploma and Degree students 
Tours mostly take place on weekdays in our commercial studios and are led by our volunteer tour guides.  There is sometimes also an opportunity to see staff working on current commissions.   We also offer longer tours on selected Saturdays through the year

NEW FOR 2012:
February to July: Royal Connections: 
For the first part of the season and to coincide with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, we will be featuring ‘Royal Connections’ showing pieces from our collection which have been worked for or by members of the Royal family, including letters and archive documents which are rarely seen by the public.
Read our Royal Connections Press Release

September to November: 140 years of the RSN: 
In 1872 Lady Victoria Welby founded the School of Art Needlework in London with the first students being registered on 5 November 1872.  Within a month or two, Princess Helena, Queen Victoria’s third daughter became the President. By 1875 we had the Queen’s Patronage and became the Royal School of Art Needlework, exhibiting internationally for the first time in 1876 in the USA.  But that was just the start.  This exhibition will feature 140 objects including archive materials, photographs and embroideries from the different decades.