Celebrating our late monarch’s centenary, the new Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition, opening at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace today, is a mesmerising celebration of our longest reigning monarch, exploring the importance of fashion in shaping Queen Elizabeth II’s image; making her the most recognisable head of state throughout the world, representing Britain’s standing as a foremost nation on the international stage.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dressed for Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960 by Sir Cecil Beaton (Cecil Beaton Archive)
Curated by Caroline de Guitaut, Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, this is more than just an array of colourful and exquisitely made couture dresses from the royal archives, the history of the country over which Queen Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years is woven into the arc of her diplomatically-styled wardrobe. Offering visitors the chance to see more than 300 hundred items from the Royal Collection, including day and evening ensembles, hats, shoes, gloves, diamond tiaras and brooches, silk scarves, handwritten letters and even her suitably luxurious travelling cases, this is the largest display of Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic fashion ever mounted, with over half the exhibits never having been shown to the public before now. Unsurprisingly, for anyone with an affection for Queen Elizabeth, it’s a moving experience to be within touching distance of garments you recognise from the many photographs that were taken of her; a monarch who represented an era in a way we will never see again in our lifetimes.
Fashion lovers can admire contributions from world-renowned British designers Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, while a fashion chronology highlights styles from all ten decades of the Queen’s life including the ensembles she worn to celebrate her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees; from the charming smocked dresses worn by a young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret and the utility war-time outfits worn by Princess Elizabeth during World War II, to her 1947 Norman Hartnell-designed wedding dress which symbolised hope for so many Britons who were still bruised following years of personal loss and deprivation.
The striking finale of the exhibition is a 360 degree gathering of Queen Elizabeth’s most glamorous gowns, commissioned for royal tours and state occasions, from the time she first ascended to the throne right up to the last ensembles she ever wore. Visitors will smile to see the peach-coloured dress worn by The Queen for her performance opposite Daniel Craig in the Danny Boyle-directed James Bond short film which brought the house down at the 2012 London Olympic Games opening ceremony, in which she is seen boarding a helicopter before ‘parachuting’ into the Olympic Stadium. Designed by Queen Elizabeth’s dresser and personal assistant, Angela Kelly, her stunt double’s outfit is shown alongside and highlights one of Her Majesty The Queen’s most memorable moments.
‘Her Life in Style’ is precisely that; a beautifully curated exhibition illustrating just how much thought and skill went on behind the scenes to create the ever-changing wardrobe of a monarch who had to consider diplomacy at all times. Every well-considered garment undertaken by an expert team of designers and milliners also had to consider Her Majesty’s petite 5ft 3 inches; the recognisable dresses and hats, which almost became a uniform in Queen Elizabeth’s later years, employing a rainbow of colours to enable her subjects to identify their monarch more easily.
Whether the Queen was carrying out royal engagements in towns and cities throughout the land or waving from the Buckingham Palace balcony to the large crowds assembled to celebrate her four major jubilees, she was always conscious of the fact that many of her subjects travelled from far and wide, or even bedded down on the Mall overnight in the hope of catching a glimpse of her, and this vivid presentation of Queen Elizabeth’s fashion offers visitors an evocative way to remember important dates in our recent history. I for one was struck by how fortunate I am to have lived during Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign (1952-2022) and to have experienced her steady presence in the background for almost forty years. Booking early is advised or camp out if you have to.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from 10 April – 18 October 2026. For more information and tickets please visit www.rct.uk.
