Queen Elizabeth’s timeless off-duty style: New exhibition lines up practical articles alongside posh fashion

Queen Elizabeth was perhaps at once the prime figure among the Crown’s order — being its literal heir and ruler for years — and one of its most underrated style icons.

While personalities like Princess Diana and the Queen’s own sister, Princess Margaret, were widely celebrated for their characteristic rebellious streak often reflected in their personal style, Elizabeth was considered rather dull and basic in comparison due to her renowned authoritative and conforming persona.

However, Britain’s longest reigning monarch had as many favourable style tricks up her sleeve as any other — and an upcoming exhibition is set to prove it.

“In 2026, to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, The King’s Gallery in London will play host to the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of The late Queen’s fashion ever mounted, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style,” the royal family’s official Instagram had announced in July.

A major attraction at Queen Elizabeth’s clothing display will likely be the inclusion of items from her practical, yet uncompromisingly chic, off-duty style.

The Queen at leisure

London based designers Erdem Moralioglu, Richard Quinn, and Christopher Kane will contribute to the exhibition, set to begin its display in April 2026. “The wardrobe of Her late Majesty is a snapshot of a very long life, a life of duty, and in so many ways it’s a time capsule. It captures a very specific and important moment in history,” Moralioglu said.

Indeed, one of the more unconventional pieces from the late monarch’s wardrobe was a transparent raincoat which greatly reflected the futuristic touch of the 1960s British mod style — a testament to the vibrant flair in Elizabeth’s otherwise reserved demeanour.

Designed by the couturier Hardy Amies, who went on to design the avant-garde wardrobe for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the outer garment was the perfect fit for flaunting the Queen’s vibrant style underneath.

Other sartorial selections to go on display will include a dark green overcoat, designed by Angela Kelly, a tweed jacket and Balmoral tartan kilt set by Norman Hartnell Harris, among others.

Queen Elizabeth’s centenary

The exhibition is being held to honour the posthumous centenary of Queen Elizbaeth’s birth.

“In 2026, to mark the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace will play host to the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion ever mounted,” the Royal Collection Trust shared on its official website.

‘Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style’

An accompanying literary guide to the Queen’s classic style will also be published ahead of the presentation. Authored by exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut, the book, titled Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, will feature “contributions by fashion experts and designers”, while exploring “the late Queen’s fashion archive and her lifelong championing of the British fashion industry in unprecedented detail.”