THE Queen has loaned Poole Museum a cherished watercolour collection for a new exhibition.

The exhibition, which marks the bicentenary of the births of both Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, will open at the attraction on Saturday, October 26.

Victoria & Albert: Our Lives in Watercolour showcases nearly 70 works loaned from the royal collection.

The exhibition explores the private and public lives of the couple throughout their marriage. Both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were avid patrons and practitioners of watercolour painting. According to Victoria’s journal, the couple spent many an evening organising much of their collection into albums. A series of nine watercolour albums created by the couple appears to have been particularly important to Victoria, as when Prince Albert died she stopped collating them, rendering them an even rarer treasure.

Councillor Mark Howell, BCP Council cabinet member for regeneration and culture, said: "I would encourage all local residents and visitors to see this fantastic exhibition which traces Victoria and Albert’s lives together through the eyes of some outstanding watercolourists.”

Carly Collier, the Royal Collection Trust's curator of prints and drawings, said: “The colourful, dynamic watercolours collected by Victoria and Albert illuminate aspects of both Victoria's reign and the royal couple's passions.

"They capture the pomp and spectacle of the British court, foreign travel and diplomacy, the exploration and shaping of a modern nation, and the close-knit family at the heart of it all.”

Poole Museum will host a series of events and activities throughout the exhibition, including a children’s 'make and take' craft activity and a talk by Ms Collier. There will also be adementia-friendly tour.

For more information, visit poolemuseum.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/

Victoria & Albert: Our Lives in Watercolour will run from October 26 until 5 January 2020. Entry is free, although donations are welcomed.