Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was guest of honour at the grand opening of the Natural History Museum’s new Treasures gallery this evening. Treasures displays 22 of the most extraordinary specimens that have ever been on show at the Museum, and opens 30 November to the public.

The Duchess, who wore a green Mulberry dress for the evening, commented:

‘The Natural History Museum has a very special place in the heart of this nation. William and I are just two of millions of people who have passed through these doors, and marvelled at the spectacular wonders of the natural world, housed in this beautiful gallery. I care passionately about what this museum stands for.  Being here tonight, seeing some of nature’s finest treasures, reminds me just how precious and awe inspiring the natural world is. That is why the opening of Treasures is so incredibly exciting.  If it were ever needed, there is now even more reason to visit this wonderful museum.’

The Duchess met curators and viewed four star specimens in detail:

• Archaeopteryx fossil – the most valuable fossil in the Museum’s collection, this 47-million-year-old rock slab contains the remains of the earliest known bird. With its combination of bird and dinosaur characteristics, it is a famous snapshot of evolution in action.
• Audubon’s The Birds of America – the world’s most expensive book and one of the best-known natural history books ever produced. It was first published in double elephant folio size between 1827 and 1838 and is famous for its stunning life-size illustrations of birds.exquisite glass models of marine life
• Charles Darwin’s pigeons – Darwin’s pigeons provided him with the crucial evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection. He bred them in his garden as an experiment and donated these fancy breeds of rock dove to the Museum in 1867
• Wold Cottage meteorite – earliest surviving meteorite seen to land in the UK. The rock formed during the birth of the solar system, 4.6 billion years ago, and was seen to fall near Wold Cottage, Yorkshire, in 1795, confirming the extra-terrestrial origins of meteorites.

Each of the 22 objects have been hand-picked by Museum scientists for the fascinating story it has to tell and all objects represent an important part of the Museum’s scientific, historical, social and cultural worth.

Treasures in the Cadogan gallery is free to visit, giving a snapshot of the vast collections in a short space of time. It is located in the upper mezzanine floor of the awe-inspiring Central Hall, overlooking the iconic Diplodocus.

Dr Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum said;

‘We are thrilled Her Royal Highness joined us to celebrate the opening of Treasures. We hope that she is the first of many visitors to discover everything the Museum represents in this special gallery.’