When Her Majesty The Queen travels on official visits abroad, the process of designing evening dresses can begin up to six months in advance. The climate must be considered and the colours of the fabrics should allow The Queen to be clearly visible among large crowds. The Queen’s designers sometimes select a fabric in the national colour of the host nation. Occasionally, emblems particular to a region or country are incorporated into the design, usually through embroidered decoration, as a way of paying a compliment to the country visited.

This silk crêpe evening gown was embroidered with a design of Canadian maple leaves and berries for the Queen's visit to Ottawa, Canada, in 1967.