Buckingham Palace will next year host an unprecedented exhibition highlighting the fashion legacy left by the late queen Elizabeth II during her 70-year reign.
“The wardrobe of her late majesty is a snapshot of a very long life, a life of duty, and in so many ways it’s a time capsule,” said UK designer Erdem Moralioglu.
“It captures a very specific and important moment in history.”
The exhibition “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style” will display some 200 items of clothing she wore over the course of her 96 years, half of which have never been exhibited before, the Royal Collection said in a statement Tuesday.
There will also be some sketches, some with annotations by the designers and even the late queen herself.
Moralioglu, along with fashion designers Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, will contribute pieces to the exhibition which opens at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in April.
Elizabeth’s style and her promotion of British culture had “a huge impact on British fashion,” said Quinn.
“The ultimate stamp of approval: she always shone a light on British designers, highlighting the relevance and significance of British fashion across the world.”
Kane added that “her garments tell the story of Britain and its changing identity through fashion”.
Among the items on display will be an apple-green evening gown designed by Norman Hartnell and worn for a state banquet given at the UK embassy in Washington in 1957 for then president Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The queen’s wedding dress and her coronation gown, both also designed by Hartnell will be on view, along with a bridesmaid’s dress she wore in 1934.
There will be practical tailored pieces from the queen’s private wardrobe including riding clothes and distinctive scarves.
One unusual item is a clear plastic raincoat made by the couturier Hardy Amies in the 1960s, which was “strikingly modern for the era,” the Royal Collection said.
“Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe was a masterclass in symbolism, tailoring and British craftsmanship,” said curator Caroline de Guitaut.
Tickets for the exhibition, which will run from April 10 to October 18, 2026, go on sale from Tuesday.
Elizabeth died in September 2022.
