Queen Elizabeth II’s Olympic Stunt Outfit Showcased in Fashion Exhibition
The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace opens a major fashion show on April 10. It runs until October 18.
The exhibition brings together about 300 garments. Items span ten decades and trace the monarch’s public style.
Featured Olympic stunt outfit
One headline item is the dress used by the London 2012 Olympic stunt double. The outfit includes sewn-in Victorian-style bloomers and a large rear zip to fit a parachute.
The Queen appeared, in a filmed sketch, to parachute into the Olympic Stadium in 2012. Daniel Craig played James Bond and escorted her from Buckingham Palace in the sketch.
Scope and highlights
The show displays two identical dresses by Angela Kelly for the first time. It also includes headscarves, see-through Fulton umbrellas, tweed suits and grand state gowns.
- Approximately 300 garments and items from the Royal Collection.
- Pieces kept in the Queen’s apartments before her death in September 2022.
- Items include a Norman Hartnell green-and-white gown from a 1961 Pakistan banquet.
- Historic robes, such as the christening robe commissioned by Queen Victoria.
- Key dresses: a coronation gown and a Hartnell wedding dress.
Off-duty and country wear
The exhibition is the first to show the Queen’s relaxed wardrobe. Tweed suits and riding clothes from Balmoral appear alongside practical outerwear.
Angela Kelly’s thick woollen coat from the Queen’s later years is on display. Brands such as Burberry and Hardy Amies are also represented.
Curatorial perspective
Curator Caroline de Guitaut highlights the monarch’s deliberate style choices. The Queen chose colours to be visible at public events.
Designers adapted contemporary trends. Practicality remained a constant for official duties.
Public reaction and access
Early dates sold out, with thousands of tickets snapped up. The exhibition is described as the largest display ever staged of her clothing.
Filmogaz.com attended the preview and noted how the displays show fashion as communication. The Olympic stunt outfit and other items demonstrate that point clearly.
