Buckingham Palace to host largest-ever exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion

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Buckingham Palace will stage the largest-ever exhibition of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion next year, showcasing around 200 items — including many never publicly displayed — to mark what would have been her 100th birthday, officials announced Tuesday.

The exhibition, titled “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” will run from April 10 to October 18, 2026, and will feature the monarch’s iconic gowns, including her wedding and coronation dresses, as well as opulent outfits worn during state occasions over her historic 70-year reign. Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at the age of 96, was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and her wardrobe is considered one of the most important archives of 20th-century British fashion. She would have celebrated her centenary on April 21, 2026.

Highlights include a tulle bridesmaid dress worn by an 8-year-old Princess Elizabeth in 1934, along with many couture creations by her most influential designer, Norman Hartnell. Hartnell designed some of the queen’s most memorable looks, including the apple-green gown she wore at a 1957 state banquet for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a pastel blue gown for her sister Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960, as well as her wedding and coronation dresses.

Visitors will also see items from the queen’s private wardrobe, ranging from riding outfits and Harris tweed jackets to raincoats, headscarves, design sketches, and fabric samples that offer insight into the process behind dressing the monarch. A notable piece is a transparent raincoat by Hardy Amies from the 1960s, designed to display Elizabeth’s vibrant daywear to crowds regardless of the weather. The exhibition will also feature creations by contemporary British designers Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn, and Christopher Kane, reflecting the queen’s enduring influence on modern fashion.

“Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe is one of the most significant living archives in modern fashion history,” said Kane. “Her garments tell the story of Britain and its changing identity through fashion and provide a masterclass in silhouette, construction, symbolism, and restraint.” Tickets for the exhibition will go on sale Tuesday.