Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe opened up as never before in new official centenary publication
Release date: Monday, 2 February 2026
A new official publication offering an unprecedented look inside Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion archive will be published on 26 March 2026 as part of celebrations marking the centenary of her birth.
Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, published by Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, will take readers behind the scenes and reveal the extraordinary craft, collaboration and diplomacy behind the late Queen’s wardrobe.
Drawing on extensive new research and richly illustrated with previously unseen sketches, fabric swatches, historic photographs and other archival material, the book offers the most comprehensive study to date of a royal wardrobe spanning more than 70 years of public life. It accompanies Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the largest exhibition of the late monarch’s clothing ever staged, which opens at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace on 10 April 2026.
Written by Caroline de Guitaut, Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, the publication will reveal the keen interest and involvement Queen Elizabeth II took in the creation of her wardrobe. Illustrated with over 400 images, it will consider hundreds of items from her fashion archive, which, at around 4,000 pieces, is the largest surviving dress collection of any female British Sovereign or consort.
Through thematic chapters, a timeline and profiles of the designers who helped define her look, notably Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies, the book charts the life of the longest-reigning monarch in British history and traces her style from birth to adulthood and from Princess to Queen.
A foreword by Dame Anna Wintour CH, DBE and interviews with designers Christopher Kane, Erdem Moralioglu and Richard Quinn reveal how Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe continues to influence fashion today, while an essay by Amy de la Haye, Professor of Dress History and Curatorship at London College of Fashion, places the archive in the context of the British fashion industry.
Opening chapters trace Princess Elizabeth’s early relationship with fashion as a child and young woman, from her first pieces of couture to the development of a fashion-forward personal style, alongside the rise of London as a centre of couture to rival Paris. Highlights include the satin and cotton Chantilly dress worn for her father’s Coronation in 1937, the first long formal dress worn by the Princess as she became heir presumptive to the throne, and day dresses inspired by Dior’s famous New Look from the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Subsequent chapters explore the precision behind ceremonial dress, military uniforms, tailoring and daywear, including Queen Elizabeth’s famous formula of brightly coloured day dress, coat and hat, accessorised with a pearl necklace – a look inherited from Queen Mary who was particularly influential on her granddaughter’s chosen style for carrying out official duties.
An exploration of the Queen’s off-duty style brings a more personal dimension, highlighting her riding jackets, tweed suits, silk headscarves and tartan skirts, and tell of her fondness for horses and the outdoors.
The publication charts the evolution of royal fashions for eveningwear and foreign tours to show how – at moments when all eyes would be on her – she liaised closely with some of the greatest British fashion designers of the 20th century to create thoughtful and diplomatic ensembles. New research for the book, which reunites the original sketches with the finished pieces, reveals how the Queen took a keen interest in preparing and recording her wardrobe for these occasions. On a black-and-white sketch by Hardy Amies of a glamorous dress for the 1961 tour of India, Pakistan and Nepal, the Queen has written ‘Yellow satin’, yellow being a significant colour in these countries for health and prosperity.
A final chapter looking at Queen Elizabeth’s accessories, including hats, shoes, gloves, jewellery and her famous handbags, showcases an array of colourful and unexpected choices – including surprisingly experimental headwear ranging from the turban-like styles of the 1960s to the ‘flying saucers’ of the 1980s and 1990s.
Throughout, the publication brings to light not only the celebrated designers but also the many hidden hands whose exceptional craftsmanship helped define a reign. It situates Queen Elizabeth’s fashion archive – now part of the Royal Collection and under the care of Royal Collection Trust – within its broader historical context, offering a rich and lasting record of one of the most significant wardrobes in modern British history.
