To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s enduring fashion legacy and continued influence on the British fashion industry, three world-renowned British designers – Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane – will contribute pieces to the exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, opening at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace on 10 April 2026. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, 4 November and will be available at www.rct.uk.
The exhibition will be the largest display of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion ever mounted, featuring approximately 200 items – around half on display for the first time – and charting the late Queen’s clothing worn in all ten decades of her life. From couture eveningwear to impeccably tailored off-duty clothing, visitors will discover the full breadth of the late Queen’s wardrobe, one of the largest and most important British fashion collections of the 20th century.
Over the course of their careers, Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane have each created pieces or a collection influenced by Queen Elizabeth II’s distinctive style, taking inspiration from different elements of her wardrobe. The three designers will each contribute a piece to the exhibition chosen from one of these past collections, with each ensemble shown alongside a related item from the late Queen’s fashion archive.
The three designers will also contribute their reflections on Her late Majesty’s fashion legacy to the official centenary publication, Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style. The book will explore the late Queen’s fashion archive in unprecedented detail, featuring a tribute by Dame Anna Wintour CH, DBE, and an essay by Amy de la Haye, Professor of Dress History and Curatorship at London College of Fashion.
Erdem Moralioglu said, ‘The wardrobe of Her late Majesty is a snapshot of a very long life, a life of duty, and in so many ways it’s a time capsule. It captures a very specific and important moment in history.’
Richard Quinn, winner of the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, said, ‘There is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth II’s style and promotion of British couture over the 90 years had a huge impact on British fashion. The ultimate stamp of approval, she always shone a light on British designers, highlighting the relevance and significance of British fashion across the world.’
Christopher Kane said, ‘Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe is one of the most significant living archives in modern fashion history. From the decline of the court dressmaker to the rise of couturiers like Hartnell and Hardy Amies, her garments tell the story of Britain and its changing identity through fashion. For designers and students, it offers a masterclass in silhouette, construction, repetition, symbolism and, perhaps most importantly, restraint.’
Visitors to the exhibition will discover rarely seen and never-before-displayed items from the late Queen’s wardrobe, which has now become part of the Royal Collection under the care of Royal Collection Trust, as well as behind-the-scenes design sketches and fabric samples that give an insight into the process of dressing the most famous woman in the world.
Couture eveningwear by the late Queen’s most influential designer, Norman Hartnell, will include a magnificent, apple-green gown worn for a state banquet given for President Eisenhower at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1957. Clothing worn for milestone family moments will include the crinoline-skirted blue gown and matching bolero jacket worn for her sister Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960: the last time full-length dress was worn for a royal wedding in England. The Queen’s dress echoed the bride’s silhouette and was complemented by a hat adorned with three large blue silk roses – perhaps a nod to the bride’s name, Margaret Rose.
The exhibition will bring together immaculately tailored items from the late Queen’s private, off-duty wardrobe. Her practical everyday style, incorporating expertly crafted tweed suits, riding clothes, protective outerwear and distinctive headscarves, became instantly recognisable around the world. Highlights will range from a Harris tweed jacket and Balmoral Tartan skirt, designed by Norman Hartnell and worn in the 1950s, to the green coat made by Angela Kelly and worn by the Queen for official photographs in the last years of her life.
A more surprising item of weatherproof clothing is a clear plastic raincoat made by the couturier Hardy Amies in the 1960s. Strikingly modern for the era and a forerunner to the famous colour-tipped, clear umbrellas that the Queen would later use on official engagements, it allowed her and her brightly coloured daywear to be visible to crowds of onlookers no matter what the weather. Amies would go on to create clothes in a futuristic style for Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Behind-the-scenes fashion illustrations, some with handwritten annotations by designers, the Queen’s dresser or even the late Queen herself, will give visitors a glimpse into the thoughtful decision-making and craftsmanship behind each outfit. A never-before-displayed sketch by Norman Hartnell shows the design and proposed fabric of a silver lamé dress designed for a State Visit to France in 1972. The Queen would annotate sketches to record which ensemble had been worn where and for what occasion, and a note on the sketch in Her late Majesty’s handwriting reads ‘opening parliament Canberra’, indicating that the dress was worn again for a subsequent tour, in keeping with her repeated re-wearing of clothing.
Exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut said, ‘Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe was a masterclass in symbolism, tailoring and British craftsmanship. In this landmark exhibition, as well as unveiling garments spanning every decade of the late Queen’s life, we are thrilled to be including works by three contemporary designers who have so successfully reinterpreted her style for the present day, demonstrating how her fashion legacy continues to be woven into the fabric of British design.’
As part of Royal Collection Trust’s charitable aim to ensure that as many people as possible can access and enjoy the Collection, £1 tickets are available to those receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits throughout the exhibition’s run. Additional concessions are available including discounted Young Person tickets for 18–24-year-olds.
