Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection

In London, Kensington Palace has permanent exhibit of ceremonial outfits belonging to the British Royal Family and the British court. The palace was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren at the end of the seventeenth century at the behest of King William III, who used it as the seat of his government. It then became a royal residence over the centuries that followed. Queen Victoria was born there, and Princess Diana lived there. In part, it is still used as a private residence. Queen Victoria opened part of the palace to the public in 1899. Some of the halls of the dress collection were recently modernized with a sophisticated technology in such a way that visitors can experience the courtly sartorial works in a virtual form. The rest of the exhibition is designed according to a chronological and thematic progression. Court outfits and uniforms dated from the eighteenth century onward. There is excellent documentation of the various men’s and women’s court dress from the eighteenth century to 1939, when the custom of court dress was abolished. The rules imposed by the court specified the outfit and the decorations to be worn in accordance with rank and with the occasion. Moreover, there are exhibits regarding the crafts that specialize in the production of this particular type of apparel. After the Second World War and with the development of London high fashion, it was popular couturiers who dressed the ladies in waiting and the queen herself. Among Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dressmakers: Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies. Both are well represented in the collection.