A new exhibition featuring unseen royal fashion will take place at Kensington Palace from March 13 to November 30, 2025. Titled “Dress Codes,” the exhibition examines the clothing choices of the British royals and the stories behind them.
It explores how dress codes have changed over time, showcasing pieces from figures like Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. The exhibition will feature some hidden and forgotten treasures from royal wardrobes. Among the items are two floral dresses by Liberty that Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, wore in 1963. There’s also a red gown by Bruce Oldfield that Princess Diana wore during a state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1987.
You’ll find evening gowns belonging to Princess Margaret, including a design by Thea Porter and another from Filipino designer Jose Pitoy Moreno. Additionally, a bottle-green velvet dress by Catherine Walker, worn by Princess Diana for the July 1997 issue of Vanity Fair, will be included.
The exhibition will also present a black mourning bodice worn by Queen Victoria in the years after her husband, Prince Albert, passed away. The late monarch was born at Kensington Palace and spent her early years there, making it a significant place in her life.
The exhibition also has several historically important pieces on loan from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which preserves clothing from the 16th century to today. Among these is a black polka dot dress worn by Dame Vivienne Westwood when she visited Buckingham Palace to receive her damehood, known as a DBE, or Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Historic Royal Palaces has collaborated with three local youth groups, inviting them to contribute to the exhibition by designing clothing, creating music and helping to set the atmosphere in the final room.
This post was last modified on October 29, 2024 8:27 am