It is amazing how a room full of faces, many of which don’t even have full bodies connected, can be a window into history. But so it is here in Room 1 of the National Portrait Gallery in London. In this narrow room on the third floor of the museum – which is where you begin your visit – lie the Tudor portraits. Visages of Henry VIII and his wives, Elizabeth I, Mary, and more line the walls, along with some of their contemporary less-than-royals like Sir Walter Raleigh. Some of the images are easily recognizable; others are less so. Some I’ve never even heard of. And yet here, in this room and nearly three dozen more, British history fully comes to life via famous people of the past, less famous people, and those who painted them.

The Tudor room makes the perfect place to start. It is highlighted by some of those mentioned above, specifically Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Henry has two portraits here, one a side-by-side with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, the other a full length portrait of the monarch at a slightly older age. Across the room are portraits of a few of his other wives, that of Anne Boleyn easily recognized by her stylized B necklace. Henry reigned from 1509 to 1547, and all of these portraits are from contemporary times, so I’m staring at the closest possible likenesses of a man who lived about 600 years ago. The paintings themselves, like nearly all here in the National Portrait Gallery, are remarkably well preserved (or restored) and could easily pass for modern works if not for the differences in style.

Elizabeth I has three portraits in this room, and at least two more in others that I came across. One shows her at her coronation in 1559 at the age of 25, with flowing red hair. Another, commissioned as an apology by Sir Henry Lee (who himself has a portrait in this room), shows the Queen as an older woman, though dressed as a young maiden of the court would be, albeit with a bit more flare. My favorite is the Darnley Portrait, painted in roughly 1575, which shows a more regal and stern monarch. It is still feminine, but not focused so much on a tiny waist. It is important to remember that portraits of monarchs were done – and still are done – to convey wealth, power, benevolence, and/or wisdom, and that each of these likenesses was done with purpose. So while one portrait shows Elizabeth with the skies opening behind her to convey power or being supported by a deity, another would be done to portray a wise and thoughtful monarch. Done in succession, she would be shown as all of the above.

The National Portrait Gallery opened all the way back in 1856. With a collection of a dizzying array of nearly 200,000 portraits, the overwhelming majority of which are obviously not on display, it is one of London’s highlights, made even more special by the fact that it is free to visit. (There is capacity control, so one can pre-book a free timed entry, though that ticket is only checked when the museum is full.) It sits just off Trafalgar Square, in a building adjacent to and behind (perhaps even connected to) the similarly-named National Gallery, which is a fine museum itself, and also free. That one is a more typical art museum, so if you have time only for one, I’d lean toward seeing the portraiture.

Portraits here have been painstakingly collected via purchase, gift, or loan. I catch the first part of a “morning highlights” tour in the back corner of the top floor – the tour only covers a couple rooms so I hop off after a little bit to explore more leisurely and fully – in front of the National Portrait Gallery’s most recent major acquisition. Portrait of Mai depicts the first Polynesian, named Mai, to visit the UK in 1774. The portrait, which shows the man in foreign robes but with his native tattoos on his hands, was painted by the famous Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1776 and is known for being one of his most iconic. So when it came up for sale from a private collection in 2023, the gallery and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles teamed up to purchase it for £50 million. (It will go to Los Angeles in time for either the U.S.-hosted World Cup in 2026 or the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.)

In another room on this top floor, which traces history from the Tudor period to 1850 or so, sits a portrait labeled NPG 1. This is the very first item the National Portrait Gallery collected, and it is one of the most famous images out there. Painted sometime between 1600 and 1610, this is the only contemporary portrait of William Shakespeare. It is unknown who actually painted the image – many seem to believe it was Shakespeare’s friend Richard Burbage, an actor at the Globe theatre – and there are some who doubt it is even Shakespeare in the image, though the museum is certain it is. But there is no question that this portrait inspired nearly every other image we have of Shakespeare.

As I walk the rooms, the years move by. Tudor is replaced by Stewart. The colonial period ensues. Portraits of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, George III, and others of that ilk sit alongside Isaac Newton and Jonathan Swift. It is truly a who’s who of the British world. The Franklin portrait is especially interesting to me, as it is the one that is used on the American $100 bill.

Moving downward to the second floor, one approaches the modern era. Here, more people are instantly recognizable to me, although some are truly not. For instance, a portrait of Charles Dickens in his mid-20s, which I’d have never gotten on a multiple choice question, fascinates me, and I have to stare at it for a few minutes.

Likewise, a portrait of the Brontë sisters, painted by their younger brother as a teen, is one I’d not have guessed. It is apparently the only portrait of all three sisters, and is in relatively poor condition compared to most of the other pieces on display.

Pop culture becomes a theme in this part of the National Portrait Gallery, and paintings alternate with photographs. My favorite is a golden portrait of Elton John, and playing a game of guessing some of the others results in only partial success. (For instance, one of the Spice Girls shows only their shoes.)

Perhaps the single standout piece in the entire collection is a portrait of Elizabeth II. This one was commissioned in 1969 specifically for the National Portrait Gallery, and features the young queen looking regal in red. It took 18 sittings over 10 months to complete, and is absolutely stunning.

I could go on and on. A Windsor family portrait with George V and the future Edward VIII is iconic. A lovely sitting Princess Diana. Dame Judy Dench. A room of desk masks, including that of Oliver Cromwell. An image of Florence Nightingale tending to wounded soldiers. Queen Emma of Hawaii on her visit to London. It is dizzying, and my three or so hours allows me to see each room, but some only barely. And to think that this is but a minute fraction of the collection. I am not sure what methodology the National Portrait Gallery uses to rotate exhibits, but I’m guessing that return visits would lead to new exciting discoveries.

In this, my third trip to London, I discovered a place that will easily be part of my personal “best of” list. The National Portrait Gallery offers a beautiful and unique exploration of British history through its most famous people. What a wonderful way to spend a day!

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