Overview

• Opening to the public on September 20 and running through March 22, 2026, the exhibition is billed as the UK’s first devoted to Marie Antoinette.
• Displays include rarely seen personal effects such as silk slippers, jewels from her private collection, a stained prison chemise, and the guillotine blade alleged to have been used in her execution.
• Four scented ceramic busts by Tasha Marks recreate fragrances from court life to the Conciergerie prison, culminating in a mildew-and-sewage accord evoking her final weeks.
• Manolo Blahnik is the sole sponsor, with a new capsule of shoes and his designs for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film on view, following a private preview and dinner hosted at the V&A.
• Critics highlight the show’s visual richness and sensory staging, with some noting limited historical contextualization beyond its fashion-first framing; a U.S. tour is planned after the London run.