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From Princess Diana’s daring tuxedo gown to Queen Victoria’s mourning bodice and sweet little Liberty print dresses worn by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as children, a new Kensington Palace exhibition lifts the lid on royal ‘dress codes’.
Many of the items going on display from Thursday have never been seen in public before and are normally kept in state-of-the-art storage at Hampton Court Palace as part of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.
However visitors to the London home of the Prince and Princess of Wales this spring will be able to feast their eyes on a huge range of fashion treasures that tell the story of our Royal Family over the centuries as much as their priceless arts and antiques.
Showcasing both instantly recognisable and rarely seen highlights, the display will explore the codes and conventions of royal clothing, and the powerful impact fashion can make when boundaries are pushed and dress codes evolve.
Members of the Royal Family follow certain dress codes for their official duties, often using clothing to communicate messages about their roles or the causes they champion.
Highlights include two matching Liberty print floral cotton dresses, worn in 1936 by Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) and her younger sister Princess Margaret when they were children growing up in London, on display at Kensington Palace for the first time.
The exhibition includes two matching Liberty print floral cotton dresses, worn in 1936 by Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) and her younger sister Princess Margaret when they were children growing up in London
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret often wore matching floral dresses during their childhood
The magnificent display also includes her distinctive red Jasper Conran suit worn in 1984
Princess Diana wore this red Jasper Conran suit with matching beret to attend the naming ceremony of the new P&O cruise liner, ‘Royal Princess’ named in honour of her in 1984
The young sisters often wore matching clothes, their own distinctive dress code, and the rare survivals are a very personal example of the royal family recycling and repairing clothing. The fact that they date back to 1936, the year of the abdication, adds to the sense of family unity.
The dress worn by a young Elizabeth charmingly shows signs of adaptation to accommodate the growing Princess, including altered hems and seams, and the notably worn material suggests it may have later been passed down to her younger sister, reflecting the economical attitudes of the 1930s that favoured making things last.
The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection has curated more than 10,000 historic fashion items since 1979.
Curator Matthew Storey said: ‘With this exhibition I really wanted to show parts of the collection that people hadn’t seen before, as well as some firm favourites such as the dresses by Diana, Princess of Wales.
‘Fashion choices by members of the Royal Family are often dictated by what might be appropriate for a certain occasion, they don’t get a choice in what they have to wear, but will still manage to make it their own. And what better person to represent the absolute mastery of dress code than Diana, Princess of Wales, who, of course, lived at Kensington Palace.’
They include a glittering red Bruce Oldfield gown worn by Diana for a state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1987, showcasing the importance placed on dressing correctly for official duties – in this case modestly, covering her arms and neckline – alongside her customary glamour.
It was never seen in public at the time and was likely worn to a private dinner.
Alongside this is her iconic Catherine Walker green silk velvet tuxedo-style dress, worn to formal family events – as well as her famous Mario Testino photoshoot – and then shared with the world as one of 79 dresses famously auctioned to raise money for HIV/AIDS and cancer charities in 1997.
The display also includes her distinctive red Jasper Conran suit worn in 1984 for the naming of the cruiser Royal Princess in her honour.
The colour and shape ensured she stood out amongst the huge crowds, while a little known detail – gold anchors on the buttons in honour of the occasion – can now be seen close up.
The exhibition includes a glittering red Bruce Oldfield gown worn by Diana for a state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1987, showcasing the importance placed on dressing correctly for official duties
Above are two examples of a debutante and court dress on display at Kensington Palace
The exhibition includes items from Queen Victoria, including a hugely rare and never-before-displayed black mourning bodice, a rare survivor from the early years following the death of Prince Albert
A colourful green embroidered evening gown by the Filipino designer Jose Pitoy Moreno, worn by Princess Margaret in 1980
Another Kensington Palace resident known for her style and for playing with royal fashion boundaries of the time was Princess Margaret.
Dress Codes is set to exhibit two items of dress which have never been displayed in the UK before: a 1978 Thea Porter evening ensemble will go on public display for the very first time, alongside a colourful green embroidered evening gown by the Filipino designer Jose Pitoy Moreno, worn in 1980.
The show also features items worn by the ultimate observer of royal dress codes, Queen Victoria, including a hugely rare and never-before-displayed black mourning bodice, a rare survivor from the early years following the death of Prince Albert.
It was apparently given to a page and passed down his family until it was recently acquired by the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at auction recently.
The fringing on the waist shows that even in 1870, within the first decade of her life-long mourning period, Victoria still had a keen eye on fashion. The bodice was made from a black crepe fabric that absorbed light and made it look even more sombre.
The display also features a second mourning outfit, from 1897 in the later years of her life, with the white cap traditionally worn by widows. The girth of the dress gives an unrivalled insight into how the Queen’s figure had changed over the years and, in the words of curator Mr Storey, will allow visitors ‘to come as close to what it felt like standing before the Queen and Empress when she was alive as it ever will’.
Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in 1819 and spent her childhood there.
These are rare items belonging to Queen Alexandra, the dress (above) an example of ‘half mourning’ because of the purple and white colours
More than three years in the making it brings together 34 pieces from the royal ceremonial dress collection from 1870 to the present
The exhibition also features clothing worn at court or on state and public occasions – including debutante gowns and dress, hat and little decorative horns worn by the late designer Vivienne Westwood when she collected her DBE for services to fashion in 2006.
The black polka dot draped gown was one of the designer’s own creations, with a train referencing traditional court dress, but the deconstructed design and styling representing Westwood’s rule-breaking values and politics.
Other items worn at historic court events will also feature, such as a never-before-seen stunning 1920s court dress, manufactured by Reville and worn by Lady Annie Holcroft to her presentation at Buckingham Palace in May 1928.
The chic black and white ensemble features a dramatic train and is a notable example of 1920s style that also conformed to the dress code for women attending the royal court, as laid down by the Lord Chamberlain.
One of the great strengths of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is its exceptional collection of men’s uniforms, with several now on display including an extremely rare Japanese court suit dating from the early twentieth century.
There are also two suits belonging to the late Duke of Windsor – King Edward VIII – including a Rothesay tartan suit that once belonged to his father, King George V, who bought it in 1897. Edward had the suit re-tailored to a more modern style and had a zipper fly put in. It was still in his wardrobe at the time of his own death.
One of the great strengths of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is its exceptional collection of men’s uniforms, with several now on display
The Royal Ceremonial Dress collection, which spans 500 years of royal and court dress, is cared for by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces
Another iconic 1932 tweed suit was apparently worn as an act of rebellion by the then Prince of Wales – whose fashionable turn ups so angered the King that he asked his son if he wore them because ‘it was raining’.
‘It shows that even royal princes are prone to an act of rebellion,’ Mr Storey laughs.
The Royal Ceremonial Dress collection, which spans 500 years of royal and court dress, is cared for by independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, which relies on public support and cares for some of the nation’s most historic buildings.
Mr Storey said: ‘Kensington Palace has always been the home of royal fashion, from court occasions in the Georgian period, to its stylish former residents, to our exhibitions today. I’m looking forward to sharing an incredible range of stunning items with our visitors, including many that have never been seen before.’
Dress Codes opens to the public on March 13 and will run until November 30. It is included in palace admission.
www.hrp.org.uk/kensington-palace/whats-on/dress-codes
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