Fashion exhibition for Queen's 90th birthday
- Published
This pale blue silk faille evening gown was worn at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, during the State Visit of King Olav of Norway in 1962 and was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell
The largest exhibition of the Queen's clothes and accessories ever shown in Scotland will open at the Palace of Holyroodhouse for her 90th birthday.
The display, being held in Edinburgh from 21 April, has been selected to cover the Queen's life and reign, and includes evening and day wear.
The Queen has her actual birthday on 21 April and her official one in June.
It is one of three separate exhibitions entitled Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe.
The three exhibitions are being held at the monarch's official residences during 2016, each displaying a different selection of outfits.
Sir Norman Hartnell designed this pale green crinoline evening gown made of silk chiffon and lace embroidered with sequins, pearls, beads and diamante. It was worn by Her Majesty The Queen in 1957 during her visit to the United States of America as a guest of President Eisenhower
Exhibitions at Buckingham Palace from 23 July and at Windsor Castle from 17 September will follow.
In total, more than 150 outfits worn by the Queen will be presented across the three sites, many chosen because of their close association with the location.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse has been the setting for many significant official occasions during her reign, including in 1962 when she wore a Hartnell evening gown of pale-blue silk faille for a gala performance of Rob Roy at the Royal Lyceum during the state visit to Scotland of King Olav of Norway.
Sir Norman Hartnell, who first worked for the then Princess Elizabeth in the 1940s, produced many evening dresses in her wardrobe.
The exhibition at Buckingham Palace will present outfits worn from the 1920s to the 2010s from ceremonial and military attire to ensembles worn at family celebrations, such as weddings and christenings.
The Windsor Castle event will bring together outfits from evening gowns and elegant day wear to fancy-dress costumes worn by the young Princess Elizabeth for wartime family pantomimes.
Ian Thomas designed this black silk velvet and taffeta dress worn by The Queen in 1980 to meet Pope John Paul II at the Vatican
John Anderson designed this silk evening dress entirely embroidered with beads and sequins in white, pink, gold and cream with gold thread. It was worn by The Queen for the Commonwealth Heads of Government reception held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1997
Stewart Parvin designed this pink silk dress with coordinating white jacquard coat and the pink hat was designed by milliner Philip Somerville. It was worn by The Queen for a garden party in 2009