The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the home of Shakespeare for the world and the national museum of Shakespeare, hosted a special event in Parliament on the eve (Wednesday 22 April 2026) of the writer’s birthday.
For The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust – the oldest heritage conservation charity in the UK – it was a case of coming home. The Trust was born out of a public campaign – led by Parliamentarians, royalty and cultural figures including Charles Dickens – who decided to act when the house where Shakespeare was born came up for sale.
The Trust showcased ten objects from its world class collection of more than one million items in its museum, library and archive in the Jubilee Room in Parliament. These included the famous WS signet ring and the earliest copy of his will, famously bequeathing his wife Anne (or Agnes) Hathaway his ‘second best bed’.