Prince Edward at Berkeley Square Ball
- Artist: Chris Steele-Perkins
- Date: 1980–9
- Medium: Photograph, dye destruction on paper
- Dimensions: image: 254 x 382 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the “Prince Edward at Berkeley Square Ball” by Chris Steele‑Perkins. It’s a single color photograph in the dye‑destruction style, part of his 1980‑9 series *The Pleasure Principle*. In that set he captured twenty‑four scenes of leisure across Britain – from sport to countryside hobbies – all aiming to reveal what he saw as the public rituals of happiness. In this image we see a young prince attending an indoor ball at Berkeley Square, rendered in bright hues typical of cibachrome film. The vibrant palette makes the event feel both celebratory and staged, hinting at the signals people give each other when they display identity or aspiration. Steele‑Perkins said he returned to England after photographing abroad and wanted to “re‑orientate myself,” looking through a haze of signals to catch what Britain was really doing in the 1980s. The photo therefore becomes an instant snapshot of that cultural moment, not just a portrait but a document of social ritual. It arrived at Tate Britain in 2017 thanks to the Photography Acquisitions Committee’s funding from 2016.
See it in person
Prince Edward at Berkeley Square Ball is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
