The “largest and most comprehensive” exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion will be on display at Buckingham Palace next year to mark what would have been her 100th birthday.
About 200 items will be exhibited in the King’s Gallery at the palace from spring to autumn. Half of them have never been displayed before.
The exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, aims to “reflect the evolution of fashion trends throughout her long reign”, from crinoline-skirted gowns created by Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies in the 1950s to vibrant printed dresses by Ian Thomas in the 1970s.
The Queen’s wedding dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, and the 1947 ceremony
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A striking gown worn to a 1961 state banquet in Karachi will showcase the Queen’s diplomatic dressing. The white dress features Pakistan’s national colours with a green emerald pleat design down the back.
The dress worn to a 1961 state banquet in Karachi, Pakistan
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The exhibition will also provide an insight into the rise of British couture in her early years. The young Princess Elizabeth worked with Hartnell in the 1940s and he went on to design both her wedding dress and coronation dress.
Visitors will be able to see early childhood clothing, such as a silver lamé and tulle bridesmaid dress designed by Edward Molyneux and worn by eight-year-old Elizabeth to the 1934 wedding of her uncle the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece.
A lamé and tulle bridesmaid’s dress, designed by Edward Molyneux, worn in 1934
Acknowledging that the late Queen’s off-duty fashion became just as recognisable as her official outfits, the exhibition will also include informal tartan skirts and headscarves.
Off duty at Balmoral in 1952
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Handwritten correspondence and sketches explaining her sartorial choices will be displayed along with jewellery, hats and other accessories.
Caroline de Guitaut, the exhibition curator and surveyor of the King’s works of art, has written a book to coincide with the exhibition.
The coronation gown, worn in 1953, below, also designed by Norman Hartnell
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She 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.
A collection of colourful evening gowns designed by Ian Thomas. Below, the Queen in the blue version in 1978
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“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.”
Tickets for the exhibition will go on sale with the Royal Collection Trust in November.
Visiting Cardiff in 2021
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The final plans for a national memorial to the late Queen, led by the architect Norman Foster, are also expected to be revealed in April on what would have been her 100th birthday.