In August 1855, Queen Victoria made a historic State Visit to Paris, the first time a British monarch had visited the French capital in over 400 years. Just 40 years after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, France and Britain had entered a military alliance against Russia in the Crimean War. The Queen's visit to Paris was to celebrate this remarkable turnaround in Anglo-French relations, but also marked a close personal friendship between Queen Victoria and the French Emperor Napoleon III.

This exhibition brings together 44 watercolours created for Queen Victoria to remember the events of the visit, half of which have never been exhibited before. Showing scenes of the splendid celebrations held in the Queen's honour, the watercolours capture this unique moment in British and French history.

• Compton Verney Art Gallery, Warwickshire: 15 October – 11 December 2016
• Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter: 17 December 2016 – 23 April 2017
• The Wilson: Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum: 17 June – 15 October 2017
• The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle: 24 March – 24 June 2018