With Kensington Palace reopening for visitors, it will give a little extra treat to those returning or, perhaps visiting for the first time, in a new temporary exhibition in the historic Orangery. Royal Style in the Making will feature some never-before-seen items from the archives from celebrated royal couturiers of the 20th century alongside their work for three generations of royal women.
Among the creations going on display will be the wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer (later known as The Princess of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales after the divorce). It comes complete with its sequin encrusted 25-feet train and is on loan from The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. Also on display will be the toile for the 1937 coronation gown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, consort of King George VI and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. The toile is a full-size working pattern of the completed gown with hand-painted embroidery.
Matthew Storey, exhibition curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said, ‘Our summer exhibition at Kensington Palace will shine a spotlight on some of the greatest talents of British design, whose work has been instrumental in shaping the visual identity of the royal family across the twentieth century. We’ll be exploring how the partnership between each designer and client worked, and revealing the process behind the creation of a number of the most important couture commissions in royal history. While one of the highlights will undoubtedly be Diana, Princess of Wales’s showstopping Emanuel designed wedding dress, – which goes on show at the palace for the first time in 25 years – we’ve got some real surprises up our sleeve for fashion fans!’
The exhibition is included in the palace admission ticket.
Tickets: Adult £25.30 / Concession £20.30 / Child £12.70. Free for Historic Royal Palaces
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