Bringing Royal Fashion to the Digital World with Historic Royal Palaces and Google Arts & Culture

Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after six magnificent palaces including Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London, is proud to announce an exciting new digital collaboration with Google Arts & Culture which will offer a global audience unprecedented access to highlights from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Through cutting-edge technology, nearly 200 carefully selected garments will be available to explore online, allowing history and fashion enthusiasts alike to experience centuries of royal style from the comfort of home.

The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a Designated Collection of national and international importance, comprising of over 10,000 pieces of historic dress and related materials that provide a unique lens into the history of fashion, British ceremonial traditions and life at court. Spanning from the 16^th century to the present day, it features garments worn by monarchs and key historical figures, including George III, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Princess Margaret, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth II.

Thanks to this pioneering partnership, visitors can now dive into the intricate details of these remarkable garments through ultra-high-resolution photography and 3D scanning. These advanced techniques allow every stitch, bead, and embellishment to be examined in astonishing clarity—offering insights into the craftsmanship, history, and conservation of these delicate treasures.

The historic textiles and works on paper in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection have to be stored carefully and can only be displayed in exhibitions for a limited period of time. As light, humidity, and handling can accelerate deterioration, long periods on display, or frequent handling in our stores, could shorten the life of these important pieces of history.  High resolution digital imaging means they can now be studied and enjoyed at any time, from any location around the world.

Visitors can explore highlights of the collection through:

• Ultra-high-resolution photography captures garments with a billion pixels per image, revealing textures and embellishments invisible to the naked eye.
• 3D scanning technology maps the surfaces of historic garments using thousands of laser beam. Captured by HRP’s in-house heritage science team, this technology creates interactive models that provide new insights into textile construction and conservation needs.
• 20+ expertly curated digital stories and exclusive videos featuring HRP’s curators and conservators provide behind-the-scenes access to the collection.
• An interactive landing page that allows visitors to explore garments by colour, time period, and theme, making it easy to navigate and engage with the collection in new ways.

Matthew Storey, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “Historic Royal Palaces is committed to sharing its remarkable collections and stories with the world, through exhibitions, loans, events, digital platforms and innovative partnerships. This collaboration with Google Arts & Culture allows us to bring the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection to a worldwide audience in an entirely new way.

“Historic garments are inherently fragile and can only be displayed for limited periods of time. Remarkable techniques like ultra-high-resolution imaging and 3D scanning and a platform like Google Arts & Culture mean we can share the stories of these wonderful items with people all over the world. It’s very exciting to be able to share the collection we care for with new audiences.”

Amit Sood, Founder and Director, Google Arts & Culture, said: “We're delighted to continue our valued partnership with Historic Royal Palaces with a new experience showcasing the magnificent Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. Through incredibly detailed imagery and compelling storytelling, we're bringing 200 rarely-seen iconic garments to a global audience for the first time, preserving this history for generations to come.”

Discover the collection today by visiting goo.gle/royalwardrobe