Artisans craft the Royal Opera House's new curtains

Inside a studio at Hampton Court Palace, hand embroiderer Marg Dier works with quiet precision, stitching intricate fabric foliage around the cypher of King Charles III. The gleaming gold insignia she is crafting will soon adorn a new set of stage curtains at Royal Opera House, opening and closing performances in one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
Each stitch must be small, strong and exact. The curtains will be raised and lowered repeatedly, making durability as important as beauty. Dier, a senior embroiderer at the Royal School of Needlework, approaches the task with meticulous care. The school is renowned for its craftsmanship, with clients ranging from royal households to leading fashion houses.

The new curtains were commissioned by the Royal Ballet and Opera to replace the current set, which bears the cypher of Queen Elizabeth II. Those curtains have hung in the central London venue for 27 years, introducing more than 10,000 performances and becoming part of the theatre’s visual identity.
This latest project is once again a collaboration between the Royal School of Needlework and German stage engineering company Gerriets. While Gerriets is responsible for producing the deep red curtains themselves, the embroidery team is tasked with creating the ornate corner decorations. These feature Charles’ cypher — the letters “C” and “R”, his regnal number in Roman numerals and the Tudor crown.

Although parts of the design are completed using digital machine embroidery, much of the detail is finished by hand. The crown, in particular, receives elaborate embellishment, including carefully stitched jewels, ermine detailing and a ruched red velvet cap that adds texture and depth.
Once completed, the embroidered panels are transported to Gerriets’ workshop in Volgelsheim, on the French-German border. There, seamstresses attach the cyphers to the curtains, which are made of mohair velour. Each curtain is constructed in two sections, measuring 9.75 metres wide with a drop of 10.8 metres.
Designed as a swag opening curtain, the structure includes four layers, three of which serve as lining. These layers not only protect the fabric but also provide sound insulation between the stage and the audience.
The finished curtains will be unveiled during the Spring Gala on May 14, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the historic venue. For those involved, the project represents both tradition and collaboration — a blend of heritage craftsmanship and modern engineering on a distinctly European scale. — Reuters