The Crown in Cloth: Queen Elizabeth II’s Wardrobe Revisited
Few twentieth-century wardrobes were as publicly visible, yet as little understood, as that of Queen Elizabeth II. Across seven decades of public life her clothes became part of the visual language of monarchy: bright coats in crowded public squares, ceremonial gowns beneath the glare of state occasions, and silk headscarves tied neatly beneath the chin on country walks. Yet the processes behind these garments—the design conversations, the skilled makers, the symbolic choices of colour and fabric—have largely remained behind palace doors. A new publication from Royal Collection Trust, Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, opening the late monarch’s fashion archive as never before, invites readers into this hidden world.
The Queen’s Coronation Dress, Norman Hartnell, 1953.
Published on 26 March 2026 to mark the centenary of Elizabeth II’s birth, the book accompanies the exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. Written by Caroline de Guitaut, Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, the volume represents the most comprehensive study yet of a royal wardrobe that spans more than seventy years. Drawing on extensive research and illustrated with more than 400 images that include sketches, fabric swatches and archival photographs, it reveals the scale and complexity of an archive comprising around 4,000 garments, the largest surviving dress collection of any British queen or consort.
Evening Gown, Hardy Amies, 1961. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Jon Stokes
For readers interested in the material culture of fashion, the publication is particularly compelling. It reconnects original design drawings with the finished garments, highlighting the collaborative process between monarch and couturier. Designers such as Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies helped define Elizabeth II’s public image, but the book also foregrounds the many unnamed craftspeople—embroiderers, cutters, milliners and seamstresses—whose technical mastery shaped each ensemble.
Coronation Dress and Robe, Smith & Co., Ede & Ravenscroft, 1931.
The story begins in Princess Elizabeth’s youth, when London couture was emerging as a rival to Paris. Early garments include the satin and Chantilly lace dress worn at her father’s coronation in 1937 and the first formal evening gowns she wore after becoming heir presumptive. Post-war daywear reveals the influence of Christian Dior’s New Look, while later chapters examine the careful construction of the Queen’s famously consistent daytime uniform: a brightly coloured coat and dress, matching hat, and the steady punctuation of pearls.
A sketch for an evening gown worn on the tour of India, Nepal and Pakistan by Norman Hartnell, 1961. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | All Rights Reserved
Beyond the recognisable silhouette lies a fascinating language of diplomacy. For overseas tours and state visits, colour and motif were often chosen with cultural sensitivity. A Hardy Amies sketch for a 1961 tour of India, Pakistan and Nepal, annotated by the Queen herself with the words “Yellow satin,” suggests a monarch closely involved in the symbolic dimension of dress—yellow signifying prosperity and health in the region.
There are also glimpses of the private woman behind the public figure: riding jackets, tweed suits, tartan skirts and silk scarves tied for windy days among horses and hills. Together, these garments form a rich textile archive—one that documents the evolution of British couture, craftsmanship and national identity across the twentieth century.
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Further Information:
Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style by Caroline de Guitaut is published 26 March 2026, and is available from Royal Collection Trust Shops.
The Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection and welcoming visitors to the royal palaces.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Evening gowns, Norman Hartnell, 1958. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust. Photographer: Paul Bulley.
All further images as credited in photo captions.