In 2026, to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace will present the largest and most comprehensive exhibition ever devoted to the sovereign’s style. Entitled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the exhibition will tell the story of the UK’s longest-reigning queen through some 200 pieces, about half of which have never before been shown to the public. The exhibition spans ten decades of her life, tracing Elizabeth’s transformation from child to sovereign, through her time as a princess, to her more informal style and one designed for international diplomacy.
The exhibition will be on view from spring to fall 2026 and aims to offer an in-depth look at one of the most relevant fashion archives of the 20th century, now part of the Royal Collection. In addition to gowns, hats, shoes, accessories, and jewelry, the public will also discover original sketches, sample fabrics, and handwritten letters that reveal the Queen’s strong personal involvement in designing her own wardrobe and reveal the behind-the-scenes details of a refined and secretive world.
“In the year she would have turned 100, this exhibition will celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s unique British style and her enduring fashion legacy,” said exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut.
Accompanying the exhibition will be the official volume Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, edited by Caroline de Guitaut and enriched with contributions from fashion designers and experts. The book will explore in detail the Queen’s impact on the British fashion industry. “Over the course of Queen Elizabeth II’s extraordinarily long reign, her signature style became instantly recognizable around the world, strengthening the British fashion industry and influencing generations of designers and couturiers,” said the editor. “Only now, with the late queen’s fashion archive entrusted to the care of the Royal Collection Trust, can we tell the story of a lifetime of thoughtful style choices: from her practical role and understanding of the soft power behind her clothes, to the exceptional craftsmanship behind each garment.”
Princess Elizabeth’sattention to clothing was evident from her earliest years. In fact, one of the earliest surviving haute couture gowns from her childhood wardrobe will be on display for the first time: a silver lamé bridesmaid’s dress by Edward Molyneux, worn in 1934 at the age of eight at the wedding of the Duke of Kent, her uncle, and Princess Marina of Greece.
During the 1940s, with the rise of British haute couture, the young princess began to collaborate with designer Norman Hartnell, who would become a fixture for more than three decades. Hartnell designed both the 1947 wedding gown and the 1953 coronation gown, both of which are on display in the exhibition.
Evening gowns occupy a central role in the exhibition, showing how the Queen’s wardrobe has followed the evolution of fashion over time: from the crinoline designs of the 1950s created by Hartnell and Hardy Amies, to the lightly woven and colorfully printed gowns of the 1970s designed by Ian Thomas, a symbol of a more relaxed elegance.
An entire section will be devoted to the conscious use of colors and symbols in official travel abroad. Case in point, a fine 1961 white gown created by Hartnell for a state banquet in Karachi, incorporating the national colors of Pakistan through a spectacular emerald green pleat cascading down the back.
In the last years of her life, the Queen also became an icon for her recognizable casual style of classic suits, silk scarves, and riding jackets. The exhibition will also feature a selection of these less formal but representative garments of classic British tailoring, which continue to influence contemporary design to this day.
For info: https://www.rct.uk/
 |
| The style and fashion of Queen Elizabeth II. An exhibition at Buckingham Palace to mark her centenary |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
