Position: Curator of Collections
About
Claudia is a collections curator responsible for Kensington Palace and working on aspects of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. She specialises in the early development of photography, the life and collections of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the material culture of royal image-making from the 18th century until the present day, with particular interest in dress, jewellery, portraiture, and photography.
Current research interests include Queen Caroline’s picture hangs at Kensington Palace, Sir John Conroy’s material legacy building, and Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll and the Kensington Palace community in the 19th century. In addition to caring for the permanent collections and displays at Kensington Palace, Claudia’s recent exhibitions include Crown to Couture (2023), Life Through a Royal Lens (2022), Inside Garrard’s Royal Archive (2021), and Victoria: A Royal Childhood (2019).
Select publications
Acott Williams, C., Cecil Beaton: The Royal Portraits (London: Thames & Hudson, 2023)
Acott Williams, C., The Crown in Focus: Two Centuries of Royal Photograph (London: Merrell Publishers Ltd, 2020)