Conservation & Heritage Issue 52 Summer/Autumn 2026 - Flipbook - Page 45
Unseen treasures from
Queen Elizabeth II’s
wardrobe go on display as
the largest-ever exhibition
of her fashion opens
More than 300 items from Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe are on display at The King’s
Gallery, Buckingham Palace, as the largest-ever exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion
opened on the 10th April 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.
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
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
Evening Gown worn to meet President Eisenhower,
Norman Hartnell, 1957 Illustration
© Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 |
Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Paul Bulley
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