BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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Next spring, Buckingham Palace’s King’s Gallery will host “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” marking the centenary of the late monarch’s birth with what is set to be the largest-ever exhibition of her wardrobe.
Around 200 garments will be on display, which is nearly half shown for the very first time, and spans her life from childhood to her long reign. Highlights include a bridesmaid dress worn in 1934, elegantly silver-lamé and tulle, and her famous Norman Hartnell wedding dress from 1947. Visitors will also see her Coronation gown (1953) and iconic diplomatic outfits, like the white Hartnell gown featuring Pakistan’s colors made for a state banquet in Karachi.
The exhibition includes previously unseen items: evening gowns from the 1950s to 1970s, casual off-duty looks like riding jackets, tartan skirts, silk scarves, and other unique personal artifacts, such as design sketches, fabric swatches, and handwritten notes that reflect the Queen’s active role in crafting her image.
Curator Caroline de Guitaut describes the exhibition as a tribute to the Queen’s understated yet powerful style, noting that her wardrobe communicated authority and diplomacy through visual soft power.
Opening in spring and running through autumn 2026, tickets will go on sale in November 2025. The exhibition will also be accompanied by a deluxe book, Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, featuring essays from fashion experts and archival photographs.
