Castle Of Mey Photos and Memorabelia Exhibition

13th May 2012

Castle of Mey Celebrates and Commemorates with an exhibition of exclusive photographs and memorabilia

"When I came here, I felt at once at home and among friends"

*The charity which runs The Castle of Mey, the Caithness home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and commemorating the 10th anniversary of HM The Queen Mother's passing by opening an exhibition of exclusive memorabilia and never-seen-before photographs.

Open from May 1st 2012, the exhibition will showcase the affection and dedication HM The Queen Mother had for Caithness and The Castle of Mey as well as displaying exclusive images and memorabilia from the 1952 Coronation.

The exhibition, which is curated by Christine Shearer - and is housed in Chauffeur's Cottage near the Castle - features photographs depicting HM The Queen Mother at home at Mey, HM The Queen Mother in Caithness and A Celebration of HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee (including images of the Royal family during the 1952 Coronation).

In addition, the exhibition will display the Coronation robes of The Earl and Countess of Caithness and the chairs, which they used at the ceremony.

James Murray, Managing Director of the Castle and Gardens of Mey, comments: '' We are delighted to be opening this splendid exhibition during such an important year for The Royal family. Christine has worked incredibly hard at sourcing unique memorabilia and private photographs which will give our visitors a much better insight into HM The Queen Mother and her time here in Caithness. We are confident that visitors will find this exhibition fascinating, whilst giving them a better appreciation of The Royal family and The Queen Mother's love of this part of Northern Scotland."

The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of the much-loved owner of The Castle of Mey, who, over a period of fifty years, bought the building and the gardens back to life. Her Majesty's legacy lives on through the Trust and thanks to the annual visits to the Castle of HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay and the North Highland Initiative, which he launched in August 2005 to promote and develop the economy and to support the rural communities of the North Highlands.

* Speech given by HM The Queen Mother on being given the Freedom of Wick