Da Vinci works displayed by queen

Published: Aug. 9, 2008 at 5:43 PM
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Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia on May 4, 2007.    (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg)
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia on May 4, 2007. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg) | Enlarge Enlarge
STIRLING, Scotland, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Queen Elizabeth II has celebrated her son's 60th birthday with a display of Leonardo da Vinci works from her private collection at a small museum in Scotland.

The 10 drawings will be at the Smith Museum and Art Gallery in Stirling through October, The Telegraph reports. In November, when Prince Charles actually turns 60, the exhibit will move elsewhere.

Elspeth King, the museum curator, called the exhibit "the thrill of a lifetime." She said that the da Vinci drawings are rarely shown to the public and have never been exhibited in Scotland.

"There are ten original da Vinci drawings that represent different aspects of his life and thoughts," she said. "One of skull and crossbones represents his work in anatomy and one of reeds represents his work in botany."

The museum had to invest 60,000 pounds ($120,000) in security to get the exhibit.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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