The Fashion Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II - ArtDog Istanbul
Kraliçe II. Elizabeth'in taç giyme töreni elbisesi. Fotoğraf: Norman Hartnell, 1953

The Fashion Legacy of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II’s elegance and iconic sense of style is now being transformed into a historical narrative at Buckingham Palace. Opening in the spring of 2026, a major exhibition will trace Britain’s sartorial heritage through over 200 of the Queen’s garments and rare fashion items. Spanning from everyday elegance to diplomatic representation, the collection—featuring never-before-seen archival pieces—offers a fresh look at the Queen’s distinctive style and the fashion sensibilities of her era.

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Queen Elizabeth II’s elegance and iconic sense of style is now being transformed into a historical narrative at Buckingham Palace. Opening in the spring of 2026, a major exhibition will trace Britain’s sartorial heritage through over 200 of the Queen’s garments and rare fashion items. Spanning from everyday elegance to diplomatic representation, the collection—featuring never-before-seen archival pieces—offers a fresh look at the Queen’s distinctive style and the fashion sensibilities of her era.

Set to be held at The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, the exhibition titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Stylewill commemorate the centenary of the Queen’s birth. It will explore her life across ten decades through the lens of fashion, showcasing everything from childhood attire and coronation robes to casual garments and iconic state outfits. Nearly half of the pieces will be displayed for the first time.

Queen Elizabeth II, Baron, 1956.

Aesthetic Power Reflected in the Royal Wardrobe

Among the exhibition’s highlights are the silver lamé tulle bridesmaid dress designed by Edward Molyneux and worn by the Queen at age eight at the Duke of Kent’s wedding in 1934, as well as her famed 1947 wedding dress and coronation gown, both created by Norman Hartnell. These iconic garments—cornerstones of 20th-century British fashion—will be presented alongside hats, shoes, jewelry, accessories, design sketches, fabric samples, and even personal letters from the Queen to her designers. The exhibition thus provides insight not only into the Queen’s wardrobe, but also into the creative processes behind it.

Curator Caroline de Guitaut explains: “From the very beginning, the Queen’s approach to fashion was thoughtful. This wardrobe brings together diplomatic elegance, traditional craftsmanship, and personal grace—it continues to influence British fashion today.”

The exhibition will showcase a wide variety of styles: 1950s crinoline evening dresses, Ian Thomas’s patterned casualwear from the 1970s, silk scarves used on countryside outings, and vivid color-coded ensembles designed for diplomatic purposes. One standout piece is a white pleated evening gown with emerald details, worn at a state dinner in Pakistan in 1961, a direct reference to the nation’s flag colors.

Evening dresses, Ian Thomas, 1970s © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Jon Stokes.

A companion book titled Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, edited by Caroline de Guitaut and featuring contributions from designers and fashion writers, will be released alongside the exhibition.

Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style will run from spring to autumn 2026 at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. While official dates are yet to be announced, tickets will go on sale in November 2025.

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