White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin Discusses the Royal Collection Trust with Tim Knox, Director of the Royal Collection
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The White House Historical Association today released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast exploring the American-born artists favored by King George III around the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Stewart McLaurin, president of the Association, traveled to Windsor Castle outside London, England, to meet with Tim Knox, Director of the Royal Collection, to delve into the historic relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom and the shared mission of maintaining vast collections of fine and decorative arts.
“The Association and Royal Collection Trust are both stewards of remarkable museum quality art collections. And here in 2026, we are partnering to commemorate America’s Semiquincentennial by celebrating great American-born portrait and landscape artists,” said McLaurin.
The Royal Collection was formed by successive British monarchs dating back to the 17th century and is made up of furniture, works of art such as the Crown Jewels, porcelain, suits of armor, manuscripts, paintings, and more.
McLaurin and Knox sat in the White Drawing Room and discussed three artists who were born in the British colonies of North America and later moved to England to pursue their careers. These include Benjamin West, who at one point was the official historical painter to the court and later the Surveyor of the King’s Pictures; John Singleton Copley, a successful portrait artist in Boston, Massachusetts before moving overseas in his 30s; and John Taylor, originally from Philadelphia, who specialized in landscapes.
“I think George III had a soft spot for the Americans and that one of his great sadnesses, was that the colonies were lost in his reign,” said Knox. “We know that with resumption of diplomatic ties he treated the envoy with great respect and cordiality, so I think George III would be very pleased and proud that the United Kingdom and the United States are friends again.”
The exploration of the Royal Collection continued in Saint George’s Hall, a late medieval banqueting hall where President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were recently hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla for a State Banquet. This room houses a portrait of King George III in robes of state by Gainsborough Dupont.
“Gainsborough Dupont is one of the artists that we share in common in our mutual collections,” said McLaurin. “In the White House Collection there is a very beautiful portrait by Gainsborough Dupont of Mrs. Brinsley Sheridan.”
This artist spanning both collections as well as those American artists in the Royal Collection are reminders of the storied relationship between both the United States and the United Kingdom.
This conversation will continue through a collaborative social media series between the Royal Collection Trust and the Association, launching this May across both organizations’ channels and highlighting artists represented both the White House Collection and the Royal Collection.
The White House 1600 Sessions podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The full video of this podcast episode is also available on the White House Historical Association’s YouTube channel here.
The White House 1600 Sessions
The White House Historical Association’s President Stewart McLaurin is the host of The White House 1600 Sessions, the Association’s official audio and video podcast devoted to exploring the history, cultural impact, untold stories, and personal accounts of America’s most iconic residence and highest office.
About the White House Historical Association
Founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, the White House Historical Association is the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization entrusted with preserving and sharing the history of the White House. Supported entirely by private philanthropy and the sale of educational books and products, the Association reaches millions of students, teachers, and lifelong learners through research and scholarship initiatives, public programming, and the authoritative titles published by its independent press. Throughout each presidency, the Association works with the Offices of the First Lady and the White House Curator to acquire and preserve historic objects for the White House Fine and Decorative Arts Collection. The Association also operates The People’s House: A White House Experience, a free, immersive, educational museum in Washington, D.C., which welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
About Royal Collection Trust
Royal Collection Trust is the charity caring for the Royal Collection and looks after visitors to the royal palaces. The income from tickets contributes to the care and conservation of the Royal Collection. Through our work, from exhibitions and learning programmes to publications and retail products, we aim to ensure that the Royal Collection and Palaces are valued and enjoyed by everyone.
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SOURCE The White House Historical Association
