hellomagazine.com

FABULOUS OUTFITS SPANNING QUEEN'S REIGN GO ON DISPLAY

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26 JULY 2006

There aren't many wardrobes that can boast crystal and pearl-encrusted gowns, but then again the Queen's dress collection was always going to be an extraordinary affair. Now the public can gain an insight into the monarch's private collection as the largest exhibition to date of her glittering evening gowns and personal jewellery has gone on show at Buckingham Palace.

Although the 80 gowns represent just a fraction of Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe, they give a fascinating insight into her sartorial past - dating back to before her coronation and revealing her extraordinarily tiny waistline. Her Majesty, who enjoyed a tour of the exhibition, found it a moving reminder of her early years.

"It evoked a lot of memories for her," revealed curator Caroline De Guitant, "especially looking back to her early days as Princess Elizabeth in the 1940s and 1950s." Among the poignant items of jewellery is a sapphire and diamond Cartier bracelet given to the young Princess on her 18th birthday.

As well as the regal gold and cream numbers, the collection also shows off the Queen's familiar strong shades. Organised by colour rather than by decade, the gowns range from bold yellow hues and beautiful sea-greens to hot pinks. The dresses, all by royal designers such as Norman Hartnell and Hardie Amies, include exquisite pieces such as a coat of silver tissue with pearls, sequins, beads, crystals and mink that the Queen wore twice - once in 1972 on a State visit to France and the other at the State opening of parliament in 1976.

The Dress For The Occasion exhibition, which coincides with her 80th birthday celebrations, runs until September 24, 2006 in the Buckingham Palace State Rooms.