As part of my final major product for my last year at university, I created and answered a research question upon which I then developed into a full exhibition layout. The question was -

How could media help to create attachments to public figures, such as the British royal family?

I explored research on parasocial relationships to public figures, and with the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I decided to concentrate on the phenomenal outreach of condolences from people of Great Britain and beyond that were publicly displayed.

I rendered parts of the exhibition in 3D. This is the Royal Warrants Bar serving only items from the official Royal Warrants list, and using merchandise from the exhibition shop. The bar is an area people can visit first, to prepare to enter Westminster Hall, read timelines and information about The Queen.

Through my research, I found a difference between grief and mourning. Grieving is said to be felt inside, whereas mourning is said to be an external display. People who are truly grieving the passing of the late Queen, may be experiencing the five stages of grief. I tried to incorporate areas within the exhibition that gently nod to the stages.

Having an dimly lit dome for people to reflect and perhaps have a cry was important to me, allowing emotions to flow while looking up to a planetarium roof and watching a documentary about the Queen, with noise cancelling headphones so people can feel private enough to let go and raise a toast to Her Majesty.

The Queen loved her corgi dogs very much, and I discovered during my research that all of her corgi's stem back from her first pet, Susan, who she received on her 18th birthday. Within CorgiTherapy, there are dogs for visitors to play with, to help cheer people up after the emotional experience of Westminster Hall and Reflection dome.

On the twenty-fifth of December each year, the Queen broadcasted to the nation, and many households paused their festivities to hear her reflection upon the past twelve months. I created an immersive hallway to feel like a Christmas living room, with an antique TV looping the speeches with a Christmas tree backdrop.

Many people gather at prominent places when a public figure passes away, and often leave flowers and cards to show their sympathy. Visitors can still do this within Last Wishes.

This classic Morris Minor post van delivers the scanned cards onto the digital card wall for people to observe.

Visuals of the Queen across different eras of her life appeal to a wider audience, focusing on bright colour palette that she fashionably displayed over the years on royal outings.

Living in Dubai, I felt I missed out on saying goodbye to the Queen when she passed away, and I wish I was able to visit Westminster Hall to pay my respects. I have created my exhibition for others like me to gain some closure and have our own time to grieve and accept. I designed visuals and aspects from media to reflect on the influence they have on parasocial relationships with Her Majesty, which can then be translated to other public figures.