New Exhibition 2023: Royalty & Battle

King Charles III Coronation Emblem

HRH Elizabeth II meeting the people of Battle in 1966

   Finally, there are many items in the exhibition relating to royalty from 1066 onwards, including items connected to Battle Abbey. The town of Battle owes its existence to William the Conqueror who ordered the abbey to be built on the site of his bloody victory over King Harold II in 1066, fulfilling a penance to atone for all the lives lost in the battle. Craftsmen and others who came to help with the construction were housed outside the abbey precincts in what soon became the town. This is
​our earliest royal connection.

The exhibit includes images of the visit by the late Queen, Elizabeth II to the town in 1966 – the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066.
Correspondence included in the display records the Queen recalling the visit with pleasure. Also featured is a selection of items relating to previous coronations, jubilees and commemorations of the country’s monarchs, as well as celebrating our new King’s coronation this year.​

In recognition of the coronation of King Charles III, this year’s exhibition looks at the relationship between the Royal Family and the town of Battle over the centuries.