More than 300 items from Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe go on display tomorrow (Friday, 10 April) at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, as the largest-ever exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion opens to mark the centenary of her birth. Drawn from Queen Elizabeth’s personal fashion archive – now part of the Royal Collection – the items on display trace the evolution of her world-famous style across nearly a century of public life.
More than half of the items have never been exhibited before, from her wedding necklaces and a newly displayed tiara to treasured childhood items and even the dress worn by her stunt double for the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut said, ‘Queen Elizabeth took a deep and thoughtful interest in every aspect of her wardrobe, using fashion as diplomacy while consistently championing the UK’s fashion industry. In this centenary year, we are thrilled to open up her fashion archive on this unprecedented scale, and hope visitors will discover new layers of meaning in her instantly recognisable, uniquely British style.’
Among the exhibition’s highlights are outfits worn by the Queen for significant personal milestones. These include the dress, robe and coronet she wore as a child at her parents’ Coronation; her wedding dress; a rare surviving dress from her first Commonwealth tour as Queen in 1953–4; and ensembles chosen for the weddings of her sister Princess Margaret and cousin Princess Alexandra. Displayed for the first time is an evening gown discreetly tailored to accommodate her first pregnancies between 1948 and 1950.
Visitors will also see garments worn at landmark moments in the nation’s history, from the Coronation dress that heralded a new Elizabethan era to the Tudor-inspired ensemble worn for Prince Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales. Outfits marking her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees highlight key chapters in the Queen’s 70-year reign.
The exhibition also showcases the ensembles the Queen chose to wear for encounters with some of the 20th century’s most notable figures, from President Eisenhower to Marilyn Monroe. A standout is the dress worn during her unforgettable cameo with Daniel Craig at the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony. For the first time, the dress is displayed alongside the specially adapted duplicate created for her stunt double, revealing the hidden structural adjustments that made the dramatic parachute jump into the stadium possible.
As well as a spectacular central display of evening gowns, visitors will see jewellery spanning nearly every decade of the Queen’s life, including pieces never exhibited before. Among them are items given or loaned by close family for landmark occasions, such as her wedding jewellery. The Queen Caroline and Queen Anne pearl necklaces – shown for the first time – were wedding gifts from her parents, while Queen Mary’s Diamond Fringe Tiara – displayed for the first time in almost 20 years – was made for her grandmother and lent to the young bride by her mother.
Other personal pieces include the bracelet designed by Prince Philip for their fifth wedding anniversary, and the Queen Elizabeth II Aquamarine Tiara and the Burmese Ruby Tiara, commissioned by the Queen and reflecting her own tastes, with the latter on show for the first time.
In later life, Queen Elizabeth became instantly recognisable for her trusted formula of colour‑blocked coats and dresses, and a rainbow display of daywear proves there was scarcely a colour she did not embrace. A similarly vibrant display of more than 50 hats – from the turbans and berets of the 1960s and 70s to the sculptural ‘flying saucers’ of the 1980s and 90s – illustrates her surprisingly experimental approach to millinery.
Accessories that completed her signature look are also shown for the first time, from her trusted Launer London handbags and silk headscarves to her shoes, gloves, and the clear, colour‑trimmed umbrellas that allowed her outfits to remain visible in all weather. Personal items such as sunglasses, binoculars, and monogrammed vanity cases and travelling trunks from the 1940s and 50s offer intimate insights into the practicalities of royal life at home and on tour.
For the first time, a dedicated section of the exhibition explores the Queen’s off‑duty wardrobe, featuring never-before-displayed examples of her practical everyday style and exceptional British tailoring – from impeccably cut riding clothes and tweed suits to weatherproof clothing by Burberry, Angela Kelly and Hardy Amies.
Throughout the exhibition, visitors will gain an unprecedented behind-the-scenes insight into the process of dressing the most famous woman in the world. Previously unseen archival materials – from invoices and fabric samples to design sketches annotated in her own hand – reveal her close collaboration with her couturiers and the deep interest she took in shaping her wardrobe.
Her relationship with fashion began at a young age, and the exhibition explores Princess Elizabeth’s earliest surviving garments, her first encounters with couture, and the shaping of her style. Highlights shown for the first time include her historic christening robe; childhood ballet shoes and a tiny fairy costume; gold lamé dresses made for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret by Jeanne Lanvin with dolls in matching outfits; and jewel‑toned Norman Hartnell velvet coats from the late 1940s, reflecting the Princess’s move towards the fashionable post‑war ‘New Look’ silhouette as she stepped into her public role.
The exhibition closes with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s enduring influence on the British fashion industry, presenting pieces by leading contemporary designers in dialogue with items from her wardrobe. Richard Quinn’s Autumn/Winter 2018 design playfully references her off-duty style through silk scarves; Christopher Kane’s Spring/Summer 2011 look subverts demure dressing by adding his signature neon, nodding to the Queen’s bold use of colour; and Erdem references the Welsh Leek embroidery of the Coronation dress in a piece from his Spring/Summer 2018 collection.
People receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits can visit the exhibition with up to five other members of their household through Royal Collection Trust’s £1 ticket scheme. Other concessions are available, including Young Person tickets and half-price entry for children.
Visitors can explore the exhibition with a multimedia guide narrated by British actor Keeley Hawes. They can also delve deeper through the official centenary publication Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style and a curated range of products created in partnership with past and present Royal Warrant Holders, including Burberry, Launer London, Kinloch Anderson, Corgi Socks, Dents, Floris and Fulton Umbrellas.
