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Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery made me feel like I was stepping into the life and wardrobe of our late Queen.
Like so many others, I had a deep respect and affection for Queen Elizabeth II, and it was incredibly moving to see the clothing I had seen her wear on television and in print, as well as in public appearances I had attended, on display there before me.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is a life story told through the medium of clothes and fashion, and a testament to the strong creativity and personal style of our longest reigning monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style Exhibition
From the beginning of her life, Princess Elizabeth, then Queen Elizabeth II, had a keen sense of style, and as she grew older, she worked with her designers to create everything from clothes she wore privately with family and friends to those worn on state occasions.
Sketch books and designer’s notes accompany the exhibition, all evidence of how much care and attention was paid not just to the designs, but to the significance behind them. Commonwealth floral emblems are embroidered on the late Queen’s Coronation gown and her clothing for state visits deliberately included references to the countries she was visiting.
After proceeding through security, then up the stairs in the King’s Gallery and collecting a free audio tour, you will come across a stunning evening gown designed by Norman Hartnell. Floral patterned lace overlays gold lamé in this one-shouldered gown with a soft train over the left shoulder. It is the perfect dress to open the exhibition.
The Young Princess
The next room begins with the clothes Queen Elizabeth II wore as a baby and toddler, including the Royal Christening Gown she wore in 1926. Commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841, it would be worn by every royal baby from that date onwards, including the late Queen, until 2004 when it became too fragile and a replica was commissioned for future royal babies. Beautifully preserved, the gown is made from Spitalfields Silk and Honiton Lace, the same materials used to make Queen Victoria’s wedding dress in 1840.
I was also taken by the beautiful gown and silk velvet ermine-trimmed robe worn by Princess Elizabeth to her father King George VI’s coronation in 1937 when she was just 11. What a responsibility it must have been to be heir presumptive at such a young age.
From here you move through some of the clothes Princess Elizabeth wore as a child, and on to her first military uniforms. She was made Colonel of the Grenadier Guards on her sixteenth birthday and was the first woman in the royal family to become a full-time member of the armed services, joining the Auxiliary Territory Service aged 18 and training as a mechanic and driver during World War 2.
You can also see some of the beautiful dresses and evening gowns worn by the Princess. Almost everything in the late Queen’s wardrobe was British designed and made, although in the late 1940s and early 50s you can see how her designers were inspired by the cinched in waists and full skirts of Christian Dior’s New Look (above).
Queen Elizabeth II’s Wedding Dress
Designed by Norman Hartnell and featuring detailed embroidery of flowers and plants, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II)’s wedding dress is possibly the most beautiful I have ever seen. It has a 13 foot long silk tulle train that attaches at the shoulders of the dress and the veil is made of a similar silk tulle.
What a pleasure it is to be able to look at the intricate embroidery so close up! I have seen the dress in photographs many times, but you see so much more of the detail when you are able to stand mere inches away.
Rich in symbolism, the embroidery was carried out in secret by a team of dozens of embroiderers and seamstresses and featured the white rose of the house of York, orange blossoms, ears of wheat, jasmine and star flowers. There was so much excitement over the dress that the windows of Norman Hartnell’s atelier were covered with paper and all who worked on the dress were sworn to secrecy. If you are interested in the story behind Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress, The Gown by Jennifer Robson is an excellent historic novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed (affiliate link).
Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation Dress
Also designed by Norman Hartnell, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation dress is a similar shape to her wedding gown and it too is embroidered with richly symbolic flowers and plants. Elizabeth II was very involved in the design of the dress, insisting on coloured silks amidst the silver and gold thread, and choosing the emblems embroidered on it.
These include the Tudor rose, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock and Welsh leek and symbols of all the colonies, including Canada’s maple leaf. There is also a four leaf clover embroidered on the skirt amidst the Irish shamrocks, an addition by Hartnell himself, positioned so that the Queen could touch it with her left hand for luck. The embroidery hoops in the foreground hold the embroidery samples that were presented to Queen Elizabeth II for her approval before the dress was made.
Daywear For Official Engagements
Everything the late Queen wore was carefully chosen. Brightly coloured outfits meant she always stood out in a crowd. Luckily, Elizabeth II loved colour and knew how to make it work for her. There are dozens on outfits on display, many of which are easily recognisable from historic occasions.
Hardie Amies designed a clear, see-through rain coat that she could wear over her clothes and Fulton dome umbrellas with colourful stripes to match her outfit meant she could still be clearly seen even when it was pouring with rain.
Famous for her beautiful hats, Queen Elizabeth II was rarely seen without a Launer handbag on her arm.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Evening Gowns
In my opinion, Queen Elizabeth II always had a hint of glamour about her, almost until the very end of her life. Her collection of evening gowns reflects her style and sense of occasion, as well as a deep understanding of diplomacy and human nature.
Gowns were designed to honour the occasion and/or her destination. There was always a nod of some sort to the country she was visiting – local plants, flowers or national colours incorporated in the design of her clothes, or jewellery with a connection to the people or place she was visiting. For example, notice the maple leaves embroidered at the waist of the dress in the photograph on the bottom left of the collage, worn on a state visit to Canada.
Informal Daywear
As well as the clothes Queen Elizabeth II wore for official engagements and state visits, there are many pieces from her off-duty wardrobe on display too. Comfortable tweed skirt suits, kilts, jackets, riding attire, boots, colourful scarves, shoes, boots and other outdoorsy clothing give us a glimpse into Elizabeth II’s life as a woman, wife and mother, not just as a queen.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Influence on the Fashion Industry
Elizabeth II helped the fledgling couture industry get on its feet in the mid-twentieth century and was a stalwart supporter of British fashion throughout her life. She established the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2018, and personally presented the first award during London Fashion Week.
The late Queen worked extensively with Norman Hartnell, Hardie Amies and other UK based designers. In Queen Elizabeth II’s later life, Angela Kelly took on the role of personal dresser and senior designer. From handbags to gloves and hats, the Queen worked almost exclusively with UK designers, brands and milliners.
Her style, which evolved throughout her life and reign, influenced designers around the world, had an effect that is still being felt in fashion today.
My Favourite Pieces From the Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Style Exhibition
The whole Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition is breathtaking, but a few pieces stood out as my favourites. Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress and coronation gown are simply incredible, but I also especially loved the dress she wore to her sister Princess Margaret’s wedding (pictured at the top of the post) and the second ‘maple leaf’ dress made for the Queen by Norman Hartnell, a blue and white evening dress which features embroidered maple leaves made with sequins, pictured in the collage above. (A first maple leaf dress, worn in 1957, was donated to Canada by Queen Elizabeth II and is in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Québec.)
I was also very taken by the silhouette of some of Queen Elizabeth II’s early dresses and more casual jackets, as they reflect styles I enjoy wearing myself, particularly those influenced by Dior’s New Look.
If you love history, fashion and style, and are able to, I highly recommend you visit Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at the King’s Gallery before it closes in April 2027.
You can read more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life in style in the newly published Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style by Caroline de Guitaut with contributions from Amy de la Hay and Anna Wintour (affiliate link). And if you love fashion as much as I do you may enjoy joining me for a look back at the spectacular Christian Dior – Designer of Dreams exhibition.
Private visit – I paid all my own expenses. The information I have shared here is correct to the best of my knowledge at the time of writing. Be sure to confirm all details and book tickets in advance with the official Royal Collection Trust website.
