LONDON — From the colorful gowns glittering like Fabergé eggs to the tweedy and tartan countryside looks to the sweeping military robes, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style” tells the story of a monarch, career diplomat and image-maker who knew exactly how to wield soft power.
The show, which opens on Friday at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace is meant to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth in 1926 and tell the story of her life through couture, daywear, a rainbow of hats and cases of diamond jewelry.
It does so much more. The show tells a story of British might, resilience and creativity, and displays just how seriously the late monarch took her role and how proud she was of her country.
“The queen found her own style, creating a look that became instantly recognizable to a global audience,” said Caroline de Guitaut, who curated the show. “In its elegance and idiosyncrasies, her style would inspire a generation of future fashion designers.”
During a walk-through of the show, which runs until Oct. 18, de Guitaut added that the queen developed her style through some of the most tumultuous decades in history, when change was happening at pace.
The late monarch came of age when the British court dressmaker gave way to French and British couturiers; she learned the importance of re-wearing well-made clothing during the lean war, and post-World War II, years, and she was a great supporter of British manufacturing, proud to fly the country’s wool, tartan and tweed flags.
De Guitaut also pointed out that Queen Elizabeth “took a deep and thoughtful interest in every aspect of her wardrobe, made her own decisions about her clothing and — most importantly — which designers, couturiers and suppliers she chose to work with.”
The “cherry blossom” dress, which Queen Elizabeth wore for a state visit to Japan in 1975, just one example of her diplomatic power dressing.
Todd-White Art Photography/Ben F
In the last room of the show, which houses the queen’s coronation gown and a rainbow of dresses from foreign trips and public events, there is a small caption that tells just how in-control she was when it came to getting dressed.
Designers would submit sketches, and she would mark them with a simple “Yes” or “No.” For approved designs, she added extra notes about sleeve length, silhouettes and hemlines.
Soon after she appeared in the outfits, the queen’s team would share the final sketches with the press, ensuring the details of her clothes, and the designers responsible, were accurately credited in the media.
More than 300 items from the queen’s wardrobe are on display in the largest exhibition ever of her fashion. Her wardrobe and fashion ephemera are now part of the Royal Collection, one of the world’s greatest collections of art, furniture, jewelry and sculpture held in trust by the British monarch for successors and the nation.
The show is brimming with designs by Norman Hartnell, who created the queen’s wedding and coronation dresses; Hardy Amies; Ian Thomas; Stewart Parvin, and Angela Kelly, as well as related sketches, notes and swatches.
A cluster of colorful gowns for state occasions, and public events at the new show, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style.”
Todd-White Art Photography/Ben F
More than half of the items have never been exhibited. They include the queen’s wedding necklaces and a newly displayed tiara and childhood items, including a clutch of sweet cotton Liberty print dresses with matching bloomers.
During the walk-through, de Guitaut also said the queen mastered the art of communication through clothing and worked particularly closely with her couturiers to relay her messages.
“She had an expert understanding of the way different fabrics would work in varying climatic conditions, and instantly understood how many pieces of day- and eveningwear were needed for the many overseas tours she undertook on behalf of government, whether they lasted days, weeks or even months,” said de Guitaut.
“Her clothes were always minutely considered, none more so than when undertaking official overseas tours. From the very beginning of her reign, the queen had an innate understanding of how fashion could lend itself to diplomacy. No matter which country or culture she visited, she offered a master class in diplomatic dressing that spoke volumes about her wish to connect to people and audiences,” she added.
The exhibition showcases so many vibrant examples, including the pistachio green Hartnell gown worn on a state visit to Ethiopia in 1965. The color was a nod to the country’s flag.
Another Hartnell dress, in white and royal blue, had subtle maple leaves embroidered around the bodice. The queen wore it in 1967 for the centennial of the Confederation of Canada in Ottawa.
It was the second “maple leaf” dress that Hartnell made for her. The first, from 1957, is displayed in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.
The vast display of jazzy hats and a lineup of fun 1960s looks from Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe.
Todd-White Art Photography/Ben F
Another Hartnell gown, designed for a state visit to Japan in 1975, has long draped sleeves similar to a kimono and is embroidered with cherry blossoms in silk, crystals and sequins.
Amies fulfilled his diplomatic duties, too, creating a modest royal blue silk dress and jacket for a 1979 state visit to Saudi Arabia. The matching hat was designed to resemble a turban.
Among the other highlights in this superb show are the looks from the 1960s — lots of snappy A-line, color-blocked dresses and coats. Outfits from the 1970s — caftans, trippy colors, colorful beaded necklines and long, flowy dresses (that were really trousers) — show how much fun the queen could have dressing up.
She had the same attitude to hats. There are more than 50 of them on display in a case that runs the length of an entire wall. They range from turbans and berets of the 1960s and 1970s, to sculptural “flying saucers” of the 1980s and 1990s, underlining the late monarch’s “surprisingly experimental approach to millinery,” de Guitaut said.
Accessories play a starring role. The queen’s favorite Launer London handbags and silk headscarves are on display, as are her shoes, gloves, and the clear, color‑trimmed umbrellas that allowed her outfits to remain visible in all weather.
Personal items such as sunglasses, binoculars and monogrammed vanity cases and traveling trunks from the 1940s and 1950s offer intimate insights into the practicalities of royal life, at home and on tour.
Looks from the 1950s and 1960s by a variety of designers on display at The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace.
Todd-White Art Photography/Ben F
There is much history on display, too. The show is a reminder of Britain’s once-towering role on the world stage, and the queen’s steadfast commitment to the Commonwealth of Nations, the post-war community of countries that were once part of the British Empire.
At the beginning of the show there is the dress, robe and coronet that Princess Elizabeth wore as a child at her parents’ coronation in 1937. There is also her Hartnell coronation gown, with its colorful, symbolic beading and embroidery, and her freshly restored wedding dress, also by Hartnell.
The show includes ensembles chosen for the weddings of the queen’s sister Princess Margaret and her cousin Princess Alexandra.
There is jewelry, too, spanning nearly every decade of the queen’s life, including items given or loaned by close family for landmark occasions, such as her wedding gems.
One of Queen Elizabeth’s many embellished gowns featured in “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style.”
Todd-White Art Photography/Ben F
The Queen Caroline and Queen Anne pearl necklaces — shown for the first time — were wedding gifts from her parents, while Queen Mary’s diamond fringe tiara — displayed for the first time in almost 20 years — was made for her grandmother, and loaned to the young bride by her mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
De Guitaut said it was also important to show the impact of the queen’s style on younger generations. One of the rooms has outfits from Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, who have paid tribute to the queen’s style over the years with their silhouettes, colors and fabrics.
“The aim here is also to encourage the future fashion designers of this country to use this remarkable archive, in all its richness, to inspire their creations of the future,” said de Guitaut.
