Account
The
Indelible Style of a Queen Off Duty
A new
exhibition takes a closer look at Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe of boots, barn
coats, head scarves and tartan skirts.
Yola
Mzizi
By Yola
Mzizi
April 25,
2026
Queen
Elizabeth II, the longest serving British monarch, showed her nature as a
sartorial strategist from the very beginning of her reign: At her coronation in
1953, she wore a gown featuring embroidered motifs that nodded to places
throughout the British Commonwealth.
Elizabeth’s
rule, which ended in 2022 when she died at 96, coincided with the ascendance of
the British fashion industry. She was loyal to homegrown brands and, in 2018,
her patronage was immortalized with the creation of the Queen Elizabeth II
Award for British Design, a distinction since given annually to a rising
British designer.
In her
later decades on the throne, Elizabeth was known to favor bright, monochromatic
ensembles that she accessorized with hats, brooches and a black handbag at the
crook of her arm. Something of a uniform, the queen’s colorful attire seemingly
reflected a philosophy that she once told a biographer: “I have to be seen to
be believed.”
But just
as indelible as Elizabeth’s rainbow attire was her selection of understated
rubber boots, barn coats, head scarves and tartan skirts, items she often wore
on trips to Balmoral Castle, her family’s private estate in the rural Scottish
Highlands. Many of those pieces, along with others from her expansive wardrobe,
are featured in a new exhibition, “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” that
opened at Buckingham Palace in London this month, timed to coincide with what
would have been Elizabeth’s 100th birthday on April 21.
Elizabeth
often opted for understated casual wear, like a gray Harris tweed jacket and a
Balmoral tartan skirt, left, or a forest green overcoat, all of which are
featured in the exhibition.Credit...Photographs by Royal Collection Enterprises
Limited/Royal Collection Trust; Jon Stokes
Elizabeth’s
casual wear typically featured neutral shades that blended in with the bucolic
environments where she wore it, and it was more relaxed than the finery that
she sported for public appearances. For many people, seeing how she dressed in
laid-back settings held a unique allure, explained Elizabeth Holmes, the author
of “HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style.”
“Those
choices feel less about how they play in public or for the photographers, and
more representative of who that person is and what their style preferences
are,” Ms. Holmes said.
The
queen’s country attire also underscored her deep commitment to British fashion,
said Caroline de Guitaut, the curator of the new exhibition. “It’s so British,
and it’s so quintessentially the essence of some of the best clothing produced
in this country,” Ms. de Guitaut said.
She added
that the queen’s “off-duty” wardrobe was practical and inspired by her
countryside pursuits — horseback riding, hunting and hiking. It included suede
jackets from Simpson, Balmoral tartan skirts, Burberry capes, Barbour waxed
jackets and Hermès handkerchief scarves (the rare item from a brand outside
Britain).
The new
exhibition showcases many of these garments, several of which Elizabeth
routinely had repaired or altered because of frequent use, Ms. de Guitaut said.
“That also goes back to the fact that she grew up during the Second World War,”
she added, “where, of course, there was clothes rationing; there were shortages
of things; and there was a lot of what we call the, kind of, ‘make do and mend’
philosophy.”
Elizabeth’s
off-duty style has influenced designers in Britain and beyond. The English
designer Richard Quinn — the first person to receive the queen’s namesake
fashion award — said that her scarves were an inspiration for a coat in his
spring 2018 collection. The Italian designers Miuccia Prada and Alessandro
Michele have also nodded to the look: Mrs. Prada’s 2024 Balmoral collection for
Miu Miu included tweed handbags and chore jackets, while a 2017 collection
designed by Mr. Michele for Gucci featured tartan skirts and head scarves.
As part
of the just-opened exhibition of Elizabeth’s fashion at Buckingham Palace,
several British labels were tapped by its organizers to produce promotional
merchandise.
It
includes a Burberry trench coat with a dark green version of the brand’s
signature check print, a homage to a style of tartan favored by the queen
(2,190 pounds, or about $2,957); gloves made in collaboration with the
leather-goods brand Dents (about $128); and tartan socks made in partnership
with Corgi (about $24), a knitwear label that shares its name with Elizabeth’s
preferred canine breed.
Though
the queen’s casual wear incorporated luxury brands like Burberry, the fact that
a person could walk into a store and buy the same boots or barn jacket owned by
Elizabeth created a “personal connection to what she was wearing in a way that
was accessible,” said Ms. Holmes, the author. “A lot of her other moments,
especially the more glamorous ones, are not.”
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"Queen
Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" is the largest-ever exhibition of the
late Queen’s fashion, held at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from April
10 to October 18, 2026. Marking her centenary, the exhibition features over 300
items—including outfits, jewelry, and sketches—showcasing her style from
childhood to her reign.
Key
Exhibition Details
Location:
The King's Gallery, Buckingham Palace (nearest station: Victoria).
Dates:
April 10, 2026 – October 18, 2026.
Content:
Over 300 items, including clothing worn in all ten decades of her life, from
childhood to queen, including official royal news notes on "off-duty"
attire.
Significance:
Showcases her personal fashion archive, highlighting her active role in the
design and symbolic meaning of her attire.
Exhibition
Highlights
Garments
& Accessories: Features clothing, hats, shoes, and jewelry.
Rare
Items: Includes design sketches, fabric samples, and personal, handwritten
correspondence.
Curator:
The exhibit is curated by Caroline de Guitaut, LVO, FSA.
This
"blockbuster" exhibition, as covered in visitlondon.com blog and NYT
style section, explores how the Queen used fashion to shape her public
identity.
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