‘SPECTACULAR!’ We had a PRIVATE TOUR of Queen Elizabeth’s wardrobe | Royal Walks –  Hw

 

This is one of the most spectacular displays I think I’ve ever seen you put on here at Buckingham Palace. Hello, I’m Rebecca English. I’m the royal editor of the Daily Mail and welcome to a spanking new episode of Palace Confidentials Royal Walks. Now, I have a bit of a confession to make. We’re not actually going to be doing that much walking on this episode, but there’s a very good reason for that, and that is I am here at the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace for an exclusive money can’t buy tour of their new

exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style. It is an amazing display of 300 items of the late Queen’s Personal Clothing. Um, half of which have never been displayed in public before. We are here hours before the public arrives, so we actually have the run of the place to ourselves.

With all that said, I really think it’s time for me to stop talking. I’m so excited to show you what’s behind these doors. So, come with me and let’s have a look. Well, what a spectacular entrance. And I’m really excited for you to see our guide for the day. There is nobody who knows more about royal treasures in royal palaces. So come and meet her.

>> Hello again. Lovely to see you. So excited about this. Um we’re obviously inside the King’s Gallery which actually used to be Queen Victoria’s Chapel, didn’t it? Queen Elizabeth was christened here, I believe. >> Absolutely was. >> And it was bombed, I think, in the Second World War. And it was Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip decided they wanted this to be a gallery.

>> That’s right. >> So, what better place to start than this incredible royal christening gown, which I think is on display for the first time, isn’t it? >> That’s right. We pretty much think it is the first time. Um, it’s actually been used to uh baptize over 60 royal babies over more than 130 years.

But originally made um for Queen Victoria. She commissioned it um and used to baptize her eldest child, Princess Victoria, in 1841. So in uh 2004 I think it was the queen queen Elizabeth the second decided that this was too fragile to continue to be used. It needed to be retired and preserved for u for posterity.

And so a new gown was commissioned. Angela Kelly took control of of you know bringing that together. An exact replica of what we see here. Um but the look at the lovely baby bonnet. Isn’t that crazy? >> It’s so tiny. >> So tiny. And uh we’re also showing the wonderful blanket here. And I think what’s fantastic is that this combination of English materials.

This is all about Queen Victoria supporting British manufacturer. That wonderful Honolatan lace, the spittlefield silk um and this replicating the materials that she had for her own wedding dress. That was her desire for this particular piece. And such a historic item, of course, worn by the one-mon-old Princess Elizabeth in 1926.

And it’s just lovely to kind of get a sense of the family nature of this and how much loved this was and you know how I suppose how famous it is in the annals of of royal family history as well as royal fashion history of course. >> Exactly. And I think that idea of it being worn over so many generations and that what’s rather charming is the queen herself took on the responsibility of making a note of the names of all the royal babies and the date that they were christened.

And you can see her handwritten notes there at the back of the case. And that was something that she took on from her grandmother, Queen Mary, to whom Queen Victoria passed the care of the christening robe in the latter part of the 19th century. So it was sort of handed on generation to generation to care for it and to just very carefully note down all those names which I think is really special, >> isn’t it? Yeah. So personal.

So speaking of childhood, I think you have some dresses that the young Princess Elizabeth uh used to wear and they’re really charming in a very different way, aren’t they? Should we have a look? >> They are. Let’s go and have a look. >> Yes. So over here are dresses that although they they look so pristine and so well preserved, were really worn for everyday.

And we see this idea of twin dressing. So you’ve obviously got Princess Elizabeth’s dress there and then her younger sister, Princess Margaret. And these uh little dresses were supplied by a firm called Smith and Co. of Sloan Street. Queen Elizabeth, their mother, was a was um using Smith and Co. to make all sorts of things, not just everyday little dresses like this, but also um fancy dress costume and things much more formal uh like the dresses worn for the coronation in 1937.

So they could really turn their hand to anything. Um, and we have surviving invoices for some of these things too, which are really wonderful. So we can match up to the pieces to when they were originally commissioned. >> And there’s wonderful little well-worn ballet shoes as well. Adorable. >> Yes. Not just any ballet shoes.

These are made by Rain, the couture shoe makers who work went on to work for the Queen over multiple decades. >> Um, and they’re very special, but you know, as you say, very much well worn. Um, and then I think it’s the fancy dress costume which is just so charming because it just tells us about a a more carefree um, you know, side of their childhood.

This little fairy costume still with its gold wings uh, is so cute made of layers of silk jewel and uh, that was made for Princess Elizabeth. It originally had um a wand as well, but unfortunately that doesn’t survive. And then graduating um, into these bigger sort of tuda style dresses. They’re just so impeccably made, you know, beautifully made.

Um, and we have a wonderful photograph of the two princesses at a fancy dress children’s party in 1934 given by Lady A. Um, and by this stage, Princess Elizabeth has grown up a bit. So, she’s wearing this dress and she’s lent the the little fairy dress to Princess Margaret. >> And it’s the kind of dresses that even now you can see that every little girl that dreams of being a Disney princess would love to wear, wouldn’t they? Tinker Bell outfit, you know, Snow White kind of similar outfit.

And these, I mean, when you got the little matching purses, >> I’m not sure if our viewers can get a sense of it, but you literally, they look like they have been on a a hanger in a shop now. They’re so well preserved, even though they were so well loved and so well worn and darned and patched and amended. >> Yeah.

But this idea of dressing alike, you know, that was something that was so prevalent and not just in royal dressing. I mean, I don’t know about I don’t know. I’ve got a sister. When we were growing up, we wore, you know, my parents would dress us in identical clothes. >> I And I I I’m one of three girls and and my younger sister always moans about getting the handme.

And she was like, I don’t just get one set of handme-downs. I get three handme-downs. >> Well, let’s carry on looking through this fascinating exhibition. I think here we’re walking through the kind of early years of the Queen’s life as a working royal, aren’t we? >> We are. So this is really she’s an adult now.

So we’re in 1947 and we see her really defining her own style wearing stronger darker colors. We’ve got the interesting contrast between the tailoring in the 40s and the sudden impact of the Dior’s new look and Hartnull copying that wonderful shape. And then into of course her wartime service becoming first member of the royal family to see active service in the Second World War.

Um and then we end up in the sort of early 1950s. So, she’s still a princess, but now she’s taking on more duties from her father, the king, who’s too ill to really undertake long journeys overseas. And and so, a tour is undertaken in 1951 to Canada. And these are a couple of pieces associated with that visit. >> And this really caught my eye.

It’s such good fun. I think you don’t think about initially with the queen having fun with her fashion, but this is the definition of that. >> I think it is. I mean, it sort of sums up that kind of carefree moment in time. And this is actually called a poodle skirt. Uh made by an American designer in fact called Julin Shallow.

And you can see it’s of this very stiff felt. So it’s amazing that it survived. I think worn only once on the tour of Canada in 1951 for a square dancing party. >> And uh but the distin distinguishing factor for um Princess Elizabeth’s skirt is that it doesn’t have poodles um depicted on it, but it has Romeo and Juliet.

So there’s that sense of of romance and you know the young couple >> and would she have asked for that or she would have input on that or >> I don’t think so. I think this is very much a gift. Um I think knowing that this was going to be part of the program the traditional square dancing and that something appropriate would be needed in order for her to to to do that.

I was I was so excited when I saw this because I knew what it was instantly because of course everyone well I don’t know perhaps not everybody but I had this picture in my mind and I thought no it can’t be. Actually, that’s one that’s a really good point, Carol, because it’s one of the questions I’m most often asked by people is where is all this stuff stored? How is it stored? >> Well, it’s all kept I mean, obviously, prior to the Queen’s death, it was kept in wardrobe rooms in mainly in Buckingham Palace, some in Windsor

Castle. Uh, but now it’s kept in our store at Windsor, which is a proper textile store, you know, of a museum type. Um and this wonderful evening dress by um Hartnull is uh was uh used for the official portrait that was released uh taken by Yusf Kosh the wonderful photographer um at Clarence House and this was released just before the tour.

So sort of setting the tone, you know, as she was about to go on that amazing tour um in 51 and that wonderful combination of silk satin and embroidery and this, you know, just it’s everything about it is early 1950s. You know, it’s so much of its time. >> I think that’s what’s so wonderful about this exhibition is you can really see the attention to detail.

Some things you might not pick up in the photographs you see from the time, but you can see the incredible amount of work that’s gone into them. >> Exactly. And I think what’s also lovely is that I’ve included images of um of the queen or princess wearing the pieces as far as possible on the labels, but of course they’re mainly in black and white in this era.

And so to see the pieces in color, I think it just helps to bring everything to life. >> And this exhibit here takes us to another part of her early life. And I really wanted to have a look at that because this is really rare, isn’t it, Caroline? >> It is. This is a maternity dress uh which it was so exciting really to find in the in the archive unpacking all these amazing clothes and and going through everything.

And this is a quite an early Hartnull piece. So we know from the label um that it dates to about 1948 um between 1948 and 1950. And I think what’s great about it is when we stand from this angle it just looks like a you know very elegant evening dress. But of course, as we move around, we can absolutely see that this is a piece of maternity wear.

Uh, and it’s it’s quite rare to see that really that I there are no other pieces that I’ve seen that really um look like maternity wear, but this very definitely is. >> And so, this is a a real royal first for this exhibition and for exhibitions generally. And I think it’s quite interesting is in we live in a a stage where pregnancy is really celebrated.

We see the likes of Beyonce or Rihanna, you know, proudly showing their bumps in all their glory when they turn up to public events. But we’ve got to remember this was a time where it was it was quite hidden. It was quite discreet. >> It was it was a completely different era. And uh I think the idea of of wearing that very sort of bodyconcious clothing would not have been at all appropriate.

Um but you know, this is a piece which is it’s both elegant, but it’s also very very practical, comfortable to wear. And Hartnull’s gone to, you know, huge amount of trouble, you know, to tailor this piece so that it would look elegant as Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth always did, but also that it would be comfortable for her to wear.

And I think that’s a really um interesting balancing act. >> Because I always say with the Queen, she was the ultimate working mother, wasn’t she? She had an extraordinary job to do, but while she was the mother of, you know, young children as well. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. And she just, you know, got on with the job. >> Yeah.

Yeah. So, stepping back slightly in time, but a very good reason because we’re going to 1947 to view Queen Elizabeth or Princess Elizabeth as she was then still her wedding gown. Yes. Absolutely extraordinary. I mean, that tiara for one thing, >> isn’t it amazing? It’s so beautiful to be able to show the whole ensemble together. It’s very special.

Um, so this is one of Hart’s two great masterpieces designed for the Queen. the wedding dress as you say 20th of November 1947 produced under quite a lot of pressure. Uh he was asked to submit a design in August of that year. So he didn’t really have very long and of course one of the one of the biggest challenges was that we’re still we’re in the era of clothes rationing.

So finding the materials was very very difficult. He had a wonderful team working for him in his studio and of course embroidery is one of the great features of this incredible dress. It’s made of silk satin and it has this pearl and crystal encrusted design all over the dress and all over the court train which falls from the shoulders.

And this is in a design of roses of York of wheat ears of seringa of orange blossom everything that is about both the lineage and of princess Elizabeth but also it’s about birth. It’s about >> spring and renewal isn’t it? Yeah, exactly. And that was Hartnull’s inspiration. Primma Vera painted by Sandro Buchelli.

He cited that as his his main inspiration for the dress. But of course, it was a moment to sort of try and bring the nation together to to lift the spirits after the hardships of the Second World War, which were, you know, still very much being endured by people. Uh, and many many women sent in their clothing coupons uh to try and help the princess to have a dress that was befitting of the occasion.

The princess sent them all back which because it was illegal to accept them from other people so with a handwritten note thanking everybody but the government eventually granted some additional coupons so that the dress could you know become what it became and >> I imagine a lot of women felt like it was their wedding dress wasn’t it? It was the nation’s wedding dress as well as princess in this dress.

>> I suppose that could really have been the sentiment and of course it it caused a sensation because the design was so amazing >> and I think there’s two things that strike me. one. We can see her shoes with this, which again were tiny, but also you can see the marks where she wore them.

And that’s incredibly touching, I think, isn’t it? >> It’s great that they survive. Yes. >> And the other thing I I remember you saying to me previously, is there something interesting about the sleeves, isn’t there, on this dress? >> Yes. So, the dress itself is um made of a silk which was produced up in Dun Firmland in Scotland.

And in the production of the fabric to make it supple, sturdy but also to give that wonderful sheen. Um the silk fibers are washed uh with tin salts as part of the production process. What wasn’t realized at the time is that that accelerates the breaking down of the fibers and that is what has happened with the dress.

So it’s undergone a major conservation treatment and on a previous conservation treatment the sleeves were actually replaced. You still have the original embroidery around the cuffs, but they were just too um too damaged really to retain. Uh so yes, there has been an alteration. >> Yeah.

Well, we’ve got a lot more we want to see. So, should we crack on and go and see some more of Queen Elizabeth’s fashion? >> Well, we’re now going to see a glimpse of the offduty queen. And this really makes me smile, Caroline, because this was her happy place, wasn’t it? Balmoral the tartan trousers even. Yes, exactly. So, it’s offduty uh but still with tailoring.

>> Yes. >> Uh wonderful tweed jackets, Bal Marl Tarton as you say that that very very classic look which actually turned out to be incredibly influential on contemporary designers. People like Alisandra McIa Prada copying that that incredibly impeccably tailored look but still with that sort of edgginess to it and turning it into something slightly different.

>> And we don’t often see the queen in trousers, do we? I actually remember one of my goddaughters once saying to me, “Did the queen ever wear jeans?” Did she ever wear jeans? >> I don’t know about jeans. I haven’t found any jeans, but um definitely we have some tweed trousers there, but very practical, warm, you know, and when you’re out and out and about is what you need.

>> Yeah. And there’s a crazy I love this matching her because we know she’s very famous for her her colorcoded um fine umbrellas. And there’s this quite wild rain to go with it, isn’t there? >> Yes, that is a piece. It just looks so beautifully tailored and it’s actually by Hardy Aim is, but it is a PVC rain coat, so it’s see-through.

It’s it’s PVC can be worn over whatever the ensemble was for that particular official engagement. And it means that the queen is still visible, come what may, no matter what the elements throw at her, >> which is what she always said, I I have to be seen to be believed. Exactly. Now, I think what we’re going to go through next is to see her um uh some of her most iconic evening dresses and also her coronation grant.

And I think this is one of the things that people will be most keen to see, won’t they? >> Yes, absolutely. I mean, the the coronation gown really is one of those incredible masterpieces by Hartnull. Um I suppose the, you know, probably the most important dress he ever designed for her. He began the process in 1952. So he did have quite a long run up this time, unlike with the wedding dress.

>> And the queen really gave him a very free reign. She said she just wanted the dress to form the same line as her wedding dress to be made of ivory silk satin, but other than that, away he went. and he did so much research and he eventually presented the queen with eight different designs um inspired by you know ecclesiastical origin garments by looking at Westminster Abbey about thinking of the occasion the history and so on and the queen chose the eighth design >> but she made it very clear that she didn’t just want the emblems of the

United Kingdom to be embroidered on it she wanted the emblems of all the countries of which she was then queen um so it’s it’s almost like a piece of diplomatic messaging. >> Yeah. >> And the second thing that she instructed was that the embroideries should actually be carried out in color. Um and this was the first time that had ever been done on a queen or a queen consort coronation gown.

So it was a bit of a departure but what I think that has done is to create this piece which is completely timeless. >> Have you have you actually counted the crystals on it? because I don’t think until you see it in the flesh you can really understand how beautiful and how detailed this dress is. >> Yeah. And the answer is no.

Uh but every single surface of the dress is completely encrusted in embroidery. I mean it’s it’s a masterpiece showing the incredible skills and craftsmanship that were there in British couture in the 1950s. It’s absolutely spectacular. And you even have the original embroidery samples here that were submitted um for approval by the queen alongside the the wonderful sketch of the dress.

So that she had a real sense of exactly what it was going to going to look like. Um and of course what we have to remember although it looks absolutely pristine and it is in incredibly good condition, it wasn’t just worn on coronation day. It was worn on four subsequent occasions. >> Oh, was it would what state opening of parliament? Things like that.

So she took it on tour um on the post coronation commonwealth tour worn for the state opening of Parliament in New Zealand in Australia and in Salon in what was then Salon Sri Lanka now of course um where I think it was rather hot um so probably wasn’t terribly comfortable to wear on that occasion and then on her first state visit to Canada as queen in 1957 um worn again for the state opening there.

>> So we’ve got here on display for the first time as well the fan that the queen had at her coronation. Yes. So, this was presented not actually used at the coronation, but it’s a traditional item that is presented by the worshipful company of fan makers. Um, and always combines these materials of these wonderful ostrich feathers, tortoise shell, and then the diamond set cipher of the queen and lovely to be able to display it for the first time >> and really well preserved.

I think the one thing that strikes me in its entirety about this dress, firstly, how beautiful, how detailed, how glittering it is, but how heavy that must have been. Has anyone actually weighed this thing? >> We haven’t weighed it, but we estimate that it weighs around four or 5 kg. So, it is quite weighty.

And Hartnull actually describes in his autobiography how the skirt of the dress had to be carefully constructed. So it has horsehair padding around the hips so that it holds its shape so beautifully um with the great weight of the embroideries on top and and that was really important to him that it would have this wonderful motion as the queen progressed down the nave of the abbey um supported by her maids of honor >> and you can imagine wearing that with the imperial state crown the orb the obceptor I mean that that’s that’s not that’s quite a formidable

task I think >> it certainly would be I imagine I can’t even imagine what it would be like, but quite a lot to concentrate on. So very important that the dress just did what it had to do. And that’s why so much meticulous planning and consideration went into its production. >> It just screams majesty, doesn’t it? >> It does.

It does. And I I think it looks fresh. I mean, it’s it’s hard to believe, you know, it’s 1953. >> It looks like it’s just come out the box, doesn’t it? >> It does. Well, we’re in the Nash Gallery where we’ve got the most incredible selection of the Queen’s evening gowns throughout her long and distinguished career. But one thing I wanted to point out to you because it’s just such a sense of fun.

I think a lot of people remember this is what we call the James Bond dress. >> Yes. This is really fun because we’re able to show um the Queen’s, as you say, James Bond dress worn for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics alongside the stunt doubles dress for the first time.

And it’s interesting obviously to see the slight difference in scale. Uh but also you can see from the back of the stunt doubles dress where it’s all been specially constructed with zips to allow it to be opened and for the parachute harness to be placed on the stunt double for that amazing uh what we thought of course was the queen jumping into the Olympic stadium.

But of course we you soon realized it probably wasn’t her. But such a fun moment and that incredible color which is took so much time I think for Angela Kelly who designed these outfits to select because it was a question of finding a color that wasn’t represented on any flag of any of the competing countries in the Olympics.

So huge amount of thought process and um >> which explains that really vivid sort of peachy pink I suppose you’d call it. >> And I remember someone from the palace ringing me that night saying are you watching the opening ceremon of the Olympics? So went, “Yeah, it’s on in the room.” Was like, “You might want to watch it a bit more closely.

” And then that moment that it comes out and you think, “Oh, everyone can see what a wonderful sense of humor she had.” >> Yeah. It really took us by surprise, doesn’t it? >> I How they kept that secret, I do not know, but they did. >> Um, so should we have a look at some of these more incredible evening dresses that you’ve got on display? So this is like I don’t know the world’s best dressing up box, isn’t it? And we start off there with ceremonial really iconic outfits from the queen on top of Burmese in troop in the color.

>> Yes, exactly. Very important to show that and the mantle of the order of the British Empire which was designed by a student at the Royal College of Art, Marian Fo, who went on to have a very distinguished career um as a sort of leading 1960s fashion designer here in London. So very much that link with design and what was happening at the time >> and we can see the kind of whole gamut of the years that she was around.

I love that one there which shows I think she wore on a trip to Canada, didn’t she? And they gave the First Nations people gave her a jacket and she was like, “Do you know what? I’m just going to sling this over my evening dress and wear it out.” I love that. >> It’s quite a look, isn’t it? >> Yeah.

Um and some of the ones that we’re more familiar with her in. We we’ve got that. I think she wore that to the Vatican, didn’t she? >> She did in 1961. Very much the idea of respecting those sort of cultural and religious traditions, wearing black when in audience with the Pope >> and motifs. >> Yes. Incredible. They’re important. Yes, because they convey messages.

So, this was worn for the um centennial commemoration of the um Confederation of Canada and you can see the maple leaves around the waist. So, again, using the clothing to sort of convey messages was a really important point in the consideration of these these wardrobes created. >> And the queen’s known for diplomatic dressing, isn’t she? >> Absolutely.

Wearing, you know, a motif or a color of the nation that she’s visited. She really developed and made that her own, didn’t she? She really did and I think working in tandem with her couture um they produce some of these extraordinary uh very very successful pieces which just convey messages you know before she’d even uttered a word of her speech on arrival in whichever country she was you know undertaking the tour to and if we look at this one for example worn in Pakistan the green and the white the colors of the flag of Pakistan it’s you know that level of

attention to detail I think is is very much borne out by the surviving pieces I think over there was the dress she wore to meet Marilyn Monroe, wasn’t it? A film premiere. Yeah. >> Yes. The Black Velvet One. Uh film uh premiere from 1956, The Battle of the River Plate. Can’t say I’ve ever watched that film, but um yes, quite a moment.

Uh designed by Hartnull. I think it was Hardy Amos who said he always wanted to dress the queen in black for evening wear because he thought with the combination, you know, with her complexion and with her wonderful jewelry would be, as he put it, shorefire theater. But Hartnull beat him to it in 1956.

And I think when we look at the image of her meeting with Marilyn Monroe, which you can see on the label, I think she just looks so elegant and gracious and, you know, sort of a contrast to perhaps what a film star would wear. >> Because of course, actually, we never saw the queen in black, did we? Really, >> only for mourning or >> or or the Vatican or something like that, >> remebrance service, that kind of thing.

>> Because of course, she was and you know, not to put a too joking perspective on it, she was known as the human highlighter pen. again this idea of that she needed to be seen to be to be believed. So that whole color blocking that she um she made famous was really a very signature part of her style, wasn’t it? >> It definitely was.

I mean color played it played its role in lots of different contexts as we’ve talked about the diplomatic element. We saw those stronger, darker colors when she was a princess and she wanted to really set her own style and perhaps distinguish her outfits and her look from that of her mother who tended to wear softer, more muted colors.

And we do see some some subtle colors. >> Well, I was going to say, talking of color, this is one of the most spectacular displays I think I’ve ever seen you put on here at Bucket Palace. Absolutely incredible. It’s the rainbow queen. We we see every color of the rainbow that she’s worn over her her 70 years as as monarch.

It’s absolutely spectacular what you’ve done with it. >> Thank you. Yes. I think it was the pieces just lend themselves. This is really about tailoring, but it’s also about use of color. And color doesn’t have to be that sort of solid block of color that of course we perhaps associate with the cream very strongly. It can be passion too. Yes.

>> And there are pieces from all different eras by lots of different designers and couture who worked with her because I wanted it to be representative of that long life of of duty um and how clothes you know supported the queen in undertaking her very important role. Everything from the ‘ 50s through to the ‘ 60s ‘7s ‘ 80s ‘ 90s right the way into the 2010s is here as you say arranged in the best way I possibly could.

I spent a lot of time working out the positioning of the pieces to give this impression of a rainbow of color and that’s what I very much wanted to do. >> Actually, we’ve got to blues because I remember one of her dresses telling me that blue was her favorite color. It’s the one she liked herself in best. >> It’s it’s interesting.

Lots of people have asked me, you know, what how, you know, what’s the most prevalent color in in the archive. >> Um, actually, yellow and blue, I think, are the two most uh seen colors. >> But lot, you know, there’s just a rainbow. There’s I don’t think there’s a color that the queen didn’t really wear >> and didn’t look good in.

I think that was the that was the amazing thing. There was no no color that really didn’t suit her. She had beautiful skin, a lovely complexion. It all looked fantastic on her. >> Yes, definitely. >> And talking of the queen, I mean, she was synonymous obviously with clothing like this, but her hat collection, hat, handbags, and shoes.

I think if you there’s very few people in the world, I say that you could put a couple of items of clothing and you would know instantly who that was. And I think if you put a hat, a handbag, and a pair of shoes, you would have known it was Queen Elizabeth. >> Don’t forget the gloves. >> And the gloves, of course. Absolutely.

Cornelia James gloves. Um, some of these hats, if you don’t mind me saying, Caroline, are really quite crazy. I mean, that one, >> there’s a hat and it looks like a jellyfish hat. I mean, people think of the queen as being a little bit safe with her fashion. These these are not safe. >> No, they’re not.

And I think maybe uh there was a feeling that she could be a little bit more fearless with her millinary. Um she certainly worked with some of the most uh you know important milliners throughout the 20th century throughout her life. >> Uh who had all trained either in Paris or they trained with leading milliners here.

So these are people at the the vanguard I suppose of millinary. These are people who are so creative, so inspirational and I think that’s why we end up with this extraordinary range of sizes and styles and um as you say some of them quite aren’t there really um >> very fashion forward >> very fashion forward and I think I think it was Steven Jones the millina who said the queen really was the patron saint of hats because she always wore a hat for her formal official engagements and she carried on wearing millinary long after it really went out of mainstream.

fashion, bringing it back into fashion effectively in the 80s and ‘9s and then right the way through. And I think you see first of all the color, but also this is a way for the queen to stand out as well. It’s not just about the actual ensemble. The hat is that extra touch. You know, if you’re in a crowd of thousands of people, even if you don’t see the whole figure, you’ll spot her hat and then you’ll feel, “Oh, I actually saw the queen.

” Which is >> And it’s worth pointing out she would have to have them make them specially designed. So a they didn’t come off her head, but she could get in and out of that big state Bentley. Um they wouldn’t, you know, interrupt people’s view of her. There was a lot actually to think about, wasn’t there? >> There’s a lot to think about.

So even if we look at perhaps some of what you might think of the more crazy designs, there’s still incredibly considered. There are no brims that are going to hide her face. Everything is upswept. Everything is off the face. There’s actual additional trimming which adds interest and and draws the eye. So I think very very carefully thought through um and an incredible range of millinary from right throughout her life.

>> I think it’s also worth pointing out these are her famous Lana handbags aren’t there. >> They are there are handbags by Lana but there are also pieces by other makers too just to make the point that you know she did uh work with other designers. There are pieces by Asprey handbags also made by Rain who who made most of her shoes but not all of them.

and then some by a London company called Bagcraft who worked for her right at the beginning of her reign. And they were amongst the companies that she um awarded her first ever uh royal warrants to back in the 1950s. >> And I think amongst the splendor and the sweep of this exhibition, it’s things like that that make me feel quite nostalgic because when you see these shoes and you see how well worn they are, you can literally see the imprint of her feet in them.

That makes me really miss her as well. >> Yes. Inevitably, it feels a little bit emotional. I think >> it’s a very human exhibition, I think, isn’t it? >> It is. And I think having the ability to have pieces on open display really creates that sense of connection for visitors and and we know that they’ve, you know, really been enjoying being able to get up close and and see things in detail.

>> Caroline, I cannot thank you enough for taking time out of your really busy morning um to show myself and our palace confidential viewers around this exhibition. And I genuinely mean it’s one of the most extraordinary I’ve seen. >> It’s been a pleasure. >> One of the grandest, but as I say, one of the most personal as well.

And obviously, we’re marking what would have been a hundred years of her life if she’d been alive, but is 100 years of her birth. And I think, you know, people have been attracted to this because of that, haven’t they? >> They really have. Yeah. We’ve we’ve been very lucky to have lots and lots of visitors.

And it’s been a pleasure talking to you. And thank you. Thank you so much for coming. No, >> thank you. Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed that very special behind thescenes tour at the King’s Gallery of Queen Elizabeth, Her Life in Style. This exhibition was running until October 2026, but the Royal Collection Trust have just told us that it’s been such a sellout success, they’ve planned to extend it for up to another 6 months.

So, do look at their website for more details to see how you can get tickets for that. And if you can’t get tickets, particularly for our overseas viewers, please do like and subscribe to Palace Confidentials content on YouTube because it will enable me, Richard Eden, Richard K, Robert Harbin to bring you more of our very special and exclusive content in the future.

If you want to see this or any other of the incredible exhibitions put on by the Royal Collection Trust, then do click on the link below. And while you’re there, you might want to subscribe to our palace confidential newsletter, too. But for now, that’s goodbye from me. Hope you enjoyed it.