The Coronation outfits worn by Their Majesties The King and Queen will go on public display for the first time from tomorrow (Friday, 14 July) at Buckingham Palace. The special Coronation display is part of a visit to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms.

Staged in the Ballroom, the display has at its centre the outfits, jewellery and insignia worn by The King and Queen as they departed from Westminster Abbey and then appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Shown alongside these are some of the historic vestments worn by The King as he was crowned, as well as the Anointing Screen, Throne Chairs, and designs for the Coronation invitation.

The King and Queen’s magnificent Robes of Estate are a highlight of the display. The King’s Robe was worn by his great-grandfather King George V and grandfather King George VI for their Coronations, and conserved by the robemakers Ede and Ravenscroft. The Queen's was newly made for the occasion by Ede and Ravenscroft and by the Royal School of Needlework, with its design drawing on themes of nature and the environment. 

Queen Camilla’s Coronation Dress was designed by Bruce Oldfield and features silver and gold embroidered floral designs, representing Their Majesties’ affection for nature and the British countryside, intertwined with celebratory bunting. Visitors may also spot some more personal details amongst the intricate gold embroidery: the names of The Queen’s children and grandchildren, and depictions of Bluebell and Beth, Her Majesty’s Jack Russell Terriers. Also on display is the spectacular Coronation Necklace, which was originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858 and has been worn at every Coronation since 1902.

The King’s cream silk overshirt and Purple Coronation Tunic were created especially for the occasion by Turnbull & Asser and Ede and Ravenscroft respectively, inspired by similar items worn by King George V and King George VI at their Coronations. Shown alongside these are His Majesty’s Royal Naval Trousers and the Star, Collar and Great George of the Order of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom.

Visitors will have the opportunity to admire close-up the beautifully embroidered Anointing Screen, which was used to shield His Majesty from view during the most sacred moment of the Coronation. Its central design takes the form of a tree with 56 leaves, representing the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth. The screen’s four oak poles are made from a windblown oak from the Windsor Estate, planted in 1765, and are topped with two gilded bronze eagles. The screen was gifted for the Coronation by the City of London Corporation and City Livery Companies, designed by the iconographer Aidan Hart, and brought to life through both hand and digital embroidery, managed by the Royal School of Needlework.

Also on display are some of the historic vestments worn by His Majesty for the moment of crowning. These include the Coronation Glove, worn to hold the Sovereign’s Sceptre, and the Girdle (or Coronation Sword Belt). The Stole Royal was newly created for the occasion and embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework, from a design prepared by the Royal College of Arms. It was presented to His Majesty by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales during the service. Visitors will be able to see the final designs for the stole alongside the item itself.

Beneath the Ballroom’s magnificent Throne Canopy, visitors will see the Throne Chairs used by Their Majesties for the Enthroning and the Homage. During their tour of the Palace’s State Rooms, visitors will also see the Chairs of Estate, were used during the first stages of the Coronation, in the Throne Room. Both the Throne Chairs and the Chairs of Estate were made for previous Coronations, and were conserved and reupholstered by Royal Household and Royal Collection Trust conservators, with additional conservation and new embroidery by the Royal School of Needlework.

Visitors will also see the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which conveyed Their Majesties to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation. By purchasing a Royal Day Out ticket, visitors can combine their visit to the State Rooms with a trip to the Royal Mews, where they will see the spectacular Gold State Coach, which carried Their Majesties back to Buckingham Palace from the Abbey.