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Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection

A collection of national and international importance

The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a Designated collection of national and international importance, cared for by Historic Royal Palaces. It contains 10,000 items of historic dress and related material from the 16th century to the present day, providing information about the history of fashion, life at court, British ceremonial traditions, and the lives of key historical figures. Our collection contains items of clothing worn by royalty including George III, Queen Victoria, Princess Margaret, Diana, Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II.

The collection was created in the early 1980s after the historian Aubrey Bowden loaned Kensington Palace a significant collection of court uniforms. In 1989, the collection was passed to Historic Royal Palaces, who have continued to expand and develop the collection, which also contains prints, sketches, historical photographs, letters, diaries and scrapbooks.

The collection is open by appointment for research and education purposes, based at Hampton Court Palace. To enquire about appointments, please email curators@hrp.org.uk.

Designated Collections logo from Arts Council England. To be used when referencing HRP collections (not Royal Collection)

Arts Council England : Designation Scheme

The Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a Designated collection of national and international importance, cared for by Historic Royal Palaces.

A new digital collection

Now, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, and as part of our mission to be a charity for everyone, we are bringing this collection to a global audience and offering an unprecedented look at over 500 years of royal style.

Through cutting-edge technology, nearly 200 specially selected garments, related items and design sketches are available to explore online. Alongside expert insights, behind-the-scenes videos and hidden details, you can uncover the craftsmanship, history and conservation of these delicate treasures.

This project was supported by the generous gift of the late Michael Stennett (1946-2020), one of the world’s leading theatre and opera costume designers. 

Explore on Google Arts and Culture

Treasures from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection

Court mantua, 18th century

This style of dress with its wide extended petticoat was worn to royal courts across Europe.

The white brocaded background of the fabric is typical of English woven silk and represents a high point in Spitalfields weaving.

Zoom in to see the zigzag and other geometric motifs, together with the stylised flowers in naturalistic colours.

Baby cap, 1767-69

This baby's cap belonged to George III's fifth child, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (1767-1820), father of Queen Victoria.

The cap was made by hand. The decorative crown insert is made from a type of needle lace called hollie stitch where panels of lace are set between panels of pleated cloth.

Zoom in to have a closer look.

Discover more

Dress Codes

Until 30 November 2025

Discover never-before-seen royal and court fashion treasures in Dress Codes, a new exhibition at Kensington Palace.

Embracing two worlds: Conserving Bi-cultural heritage with a rare Japanese court suit

Textile Conservator Kaori Motaung shares her experience conserving a rare Japanese court suit from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.

A gold 1920s wedding dress for the bride who wanted to shine

Hear from our experts

Conservator Anne-Marie Britton shares how her and fellow conservator Charlotte Gamper are preparing this spectacular wedding dress for its display as part of Dress Codes exhibition.

You can help

Conserving the palaces and our collections is expensive work and as an independent charity we receive no funding from the Government or the Crown. We depend on our visitors, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors to help us.

Support us