In a picture dated Aug 30, 1949, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, wears a silver gown with a diamond tiara and pearl necklace. Photo: AP
The largest-ever exhibition of the late Queen Elizabeth II's fashion, including the opulent gowns she wore for her wedding and coronation, will go on display at Buckingham Palace next year to mark the centenary of her birth, officials said Tuesday (Nov 4).
The landmark royal exhibition will feature some 200 items – about half of them never publicly displayed before – that chart the monarch's life and her historic 70-year reign.
Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at 96, was the longest-reigning monarch Britain has ever known, and her clothing archive is considered one of the most important collections of 20th-century British fashion.
She would have celebrated her 100th birthday on April 21, 2026.
Read more: Colourful yet classic, Queen Elizabeth II's style shaped to suit a sovereign
Highlights include a tulle bridesmaid dress worn by an eight-year-old Princess Elizabeth in 1934 and many beautifully tailored couture dresses by the monarch's most influential designer, Norman Hartnell.
Queen Elizabeth II (far left), and her husband, Prince Philip, stand with president Dwight Eisenhower (far right), and first lady Mamie at the White House in Washington, on Oct 17, 1957. Photo: AP
Hartnell was the man behind an apple-green gown the queen wore for a state banquet given for US President Dwight Eisenhower in Washington in 1957; a pastel blue gown with matching jacket that Elizabeth wore for her sister Princess Margaret's 1960 wedding; as well as the queen's own wedding and coronation dresses.
Visitors to the exhibition will also see items from Elizabeth's private, off-duty wardrobe, from her riding clothes and Harris tweed jackets to raincoats and headscarves, as well as design sketches and fabric samples that give an insight into the process of dressing her.
While the queen was known for her elegant and conservative style, the collection included a somewhat surprising and avant-garde item: a clear transparent raincoat by the couturier Hardy Amies, made in the 1960s.
The raincoat was designed to allow Elizabeth's bright daywear to be visible to crowds no matter the weather.
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The display will also include pieces by three contemporary British designers – Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, influenced by the monarch's style to highlight her legacy.
"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," Kane said.
"For designers and students, it offers a master-class in silhouette, construction, repetition, symbolism and, perhaps most importantly, restraint," he added.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Style will be staged at Buckingham Palace from April 10, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026. – AP
