Buckingham Palace to Host Largest-Ever Exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s Wardrobe for 2026 Centenary

The most extensive exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II’s clothing — including the wedding and coronation gowns that defined her public image — will open at Buckingham Palace next year to mark what would have been her 100th birthday, officials announced Tuesday.

Titled “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” the exhibition will feature around 200 pieces from the late monarch’s wardrobe, half of which have never been displayed before. The collection traces her life from childhood to her record-breaking 70-year reign, underscoring her impact on 20th-century British fashion.

Among the highlights:

• The tulle bridesmaid dress worn by an 8-year-old Princess Elizabeth in 1934

• Couture gowns by her most influential designer, Norman Hartnell, including the dresses worn for her 1947 wedding and 1953 coronation

• The apple-green gown she wore at a 1957 state banquet for U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

• The pastel blue ensemble worn at Princess Margaret’s 1960 wedding

The show will also spotlight her private wardrobe — riding clothes, Harris tweed jackets, headscarves — along with original design sketches, fabric swatches and fittings notes that reveal how her outfits were conceived and constructed.

One unexpected piece is a 1960s clear plastic raincoat by couturier Hardy Amies, created so that the Queen’s brightly colored outfits remained visible to crowds even in bad weather.

The exhibition will also feature work by contemporary British designers Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn and Christopher Kane, who cite Elizabeth’s style as an influence.

“Her wardrobe is one of the most significant fashion archives of the modern era,” Kane said. “It teaches not just silhouette and symbolism, but restraint.”

Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at age 96. She would have turned 100 on April 21, 2026.

The exhibition runs April 10 – October 18, 2026 at Buckingham Palace. Tickets are on sale starting Tuesday.