Celebrations will take place at Windsor Castle throughout 2024 to mark the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world.

A miniature crown from Queen Mary’s Dolls House

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift from the nation to Queen Mary following the First World War. It is a perfect 1:12 scale replica of an Edwardian residence, complete with electricity, working lifts and running water. Its scaled-down rooms range from a fully stocked wine cellar and ‘below-stairs’ spaces to grand entertaining salons, and feature contributions from over 1,500 of the finest artists, craftspeople, and manufacturers of the day. The house went on display at Windsor Castle in 1925 and has been delighting visitors ever since.

Queen Mary’s Dolls House

This year, visitors to the castle will see a special centenary display of items usually contained within the dolls’ house, staged in the magnificent Waterloo Chamber. These range from a tiny concert grand piano, fully strung and with functioning keys, to miniature Crown Jewels inset with real diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and seed pearls. Items from the kitchens and servants’ quarters include a vacuum cleaner, which was a relatively new innovation in the 1920s; a sewing machine, complete with thread and minuscule scissors that can actually cut; and a copper kettle made from a coin, with the King’s head still visible on its base.

A miniature sewing machine

The display allows visitors to get even closer to these tiny treasures and appreciate the extraordinary attention to detail that the craftspeople involved lavished on every miniature item.

A hand-held throne

Kathryn Jones, curator of the special display, said: “Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a constant source of fascination for visitors to Windsor Castle, as irresistible to adults as it is to children. We are thrilled that we can bring the tiny treasures of the dolls' house to a wider audience in this anniversary year.”

The king’s bedroom

The room at Windsor Castle that was created to house the dolls’ house almost 100 years ago has also been re-presented to mark the anniversary. Designed by the house’s architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, it features murals by the decorative landscape artist Philip Connard together with the artists Dorothy Cohen and Winifred Hardman. These murals have been expertly restored and re-lit, so that visitors can appreciate the fine-detailed scenes of elegantly dressed figures promenading and relaxing in the grounds of a series of royal residences, including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court.

The room at Windsor Castle that displays the dolls’ house

The dolls’ house itself has been relit to simulate daylight rather than moonlight, and the room’s ornate corner niches have been restored and filled with miniature plants and flowers, which were originally created as part of a seasonal scheme for the dolls’ house garden.

The dolls’ house garden

Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The King, including Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact.

On Royal Collection Trust’s website, new content will allow as many people as possible around the world to discover the house’s miniature marvels and join the centenary celebrations. For the first time, the house has been filmed from a ‘dolls’ eye view’ perspective, giving viewers the chance to explore rooms including the Queen’s bedroom, library, kitchen and day nursery in closer detail than ever before.

The library is one of the wonders of the dolls’ house

One of the great wonders of the dolls’ house is its library, which captured the literary culture of the 1920s through miniature books penned by the era’s foremost writers, from Sir Conan Doyle and Vita Sackville-West to A. A. Milne and Thomas Hardy.

The special display of items from the Dolls’ House is included with a ticket to Windsor Castle in 2024. Anniversary events and activities throughout the year will include a dolls’ house-themed family trail for visitors to the castle, as well as family activities during the Easter holidays. An online evening event in April will see Royal Collection Trust curators revealing behind-the-scenes details and sharing how the house is conserved for future generations to enjoy.

A miniature clock and the full-sized mantel clock

A series of courses held at the castle in collaboration with the Royal School of Needlework will include a private tour of the dolls’ house and hand-embroidery workshops inspired by the intricate motifs found on upholstery throughout the house. As Duchess of Cornwall, Her Majesty The Queen became Patron of the Royal School of Needlework in 2017.

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, said: “Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is a miniature marvel and should not be missed on a tour of Windsor Castle. The centenary display will enable visitors to get closer than ever before to many of the tiny items, and to fully appreciate the intricate craftwork.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, on a tailor-made tour of England, please do contact our friendly team today. Or why not explore more of the United Kingdom’s royal residences?

Credit for all photographs: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.