Centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Birth to Be Marked by Largest Exhibition of Her Fashion Ever Staged

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HER LIFE IN STYLE
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace
Spring to Autumn 2026

In 2026, to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace will play host to the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion ever mounted.

Through approximately 200 items, around half on display for the first time, QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HER LIFE IN STYLE will chart the remarkable story of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch through clothing worn in all ten decades of her life: from birth to adulthood, from princess to queen, and from off-duty style to diplomatic dressing for the global stage.

Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion archive is one of the largest and most important surviving collections of 20th-century British fashion and now forms part of the Royal Collection. Alongside clothing, jewellery, hats, shoes and accessories, visitors will discover never-before-seen design sketches, fabric samples and handwritten correspondence that reveal the behind-the-scenes process of dressing the most famous woman in the world and shed new light on the late Queen’s close involvement in the creation of her wardrobe.

An official publication to mark the centenary, QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HER LIFE IN STYLE, will accompany the exhibition. Written by the exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut and featuring contributions by fashion experts and designers, the book will explore the late Queen’s fashion archive and her lifelong championing of the British fashion industry in unprecedented detail.

Caroline de Guitaut, exhibition curator and Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, said: ‘Over the course of Queen Elizabeth II’s remarkably long reign, her distinctive style became instantly recognisable around the world, bolstering the British fashion industry and influencing generations of designers and couturiers.

‘Only now, as the late Queen’s fashion archive comes under the care of Royal Collection Trust, can we tell the story of a lifetime of thoughtful style choices – from her hands-on role and understanding of the soft power behind her clothing, to the exceptional craftsmanship behind each garment. In the year that she would have turned 100 years old, this exhibition will be a celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s uniquely British style and her enduring fashion legacy.’

From birth, Princess Elizabeth’s clothing was a topic of national fascination. On show for the first time will be one of the earliest surviving pieces of couture from her childhood wardrobe: the silver lamé and tulle bridesmaid dress, designed by Edward Molyneux, that she wore aged eight for the 1934 wedding of her uncle, the Duke of Kent, to Princess Marina of Greece.

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Bridesmaid’s Dress, Edward Molyneux, 1934.

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Princess Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress, Norman Hartnell, 1947.

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Hacking Jacket, Bernard Weatherill.

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Evening Gowns, Ian Thomas, c.1970s.

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Evening Gown, Norman Hartnell, 1961.

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Evening Gown, Norman Hartnell, 1956.

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The Queen’s Coronation Dress, Norman Hartnell, 1953.

As British couture rose to prominence in the 1940s, Princess Elizabeth began working with Norman Hartnell, who became her most influential designer over the next three decades. His position as Britain’s leading couturier was cemented when he was chosen to design her wedding dress in 1947 and her Coronation dress in 1953, both of which will be on display.

Eveningwear was a vital component of the Queen’s wardrobe, and visitors will see stunning examples that reflect the evolution of fashion trends throughout her long reign – from the crinoline-skirted gowns of the 1950s by Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies to fluid, vibrantly printed dresses by Ian Thomas that capture the relaxed glamour of the 1970s, on show for the first time.

The exhibition will explore the Queen’s use of diplomatically significant emblems and colours in her wardrobe for overseas tours, as shown in an ingenious white gown designed by Norman Hartnell for a 1961 State Banquet in Karachi, which incorporates Pakistan’s national colours through a dramatic emerald-green pleat cascading down the back.

In her later years, Queen Elizabeth became as recognisable for her off-duty style and classic British tailoring as she was for her couture gowns. From impeccably cut riding jackets to tartan skirts and silk headscarves, visitors will see never-before-displayed examples of her practical everyday style, which continues to inspire contemporary designers to this day.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HER LIFE IN STYLE is at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from spring to autumn 2026. Dates to be confirmed and tickets to go on sale in November 2025.

The official publication QUEEN ELIZABETH II: HER LIFE IN STYLE will be published by Royal Collection Trust in March 2026, available at £40.00 from Royal Collection Trust shops and www.royalcollectionshop.co.uk, and from all good bookshops.

[Photo Credit: Courtesy of Royal Collection Trust]

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