Highlight for 2025 - Dress Codes
From March 2025, visitors to Kensington Palace will be able to explore the codes and conventions of royal clothing, and the powerful impact fashion can make when boundaries are pushed and dress codes evolve.
Explore how Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret often used clothing to communicate messages about their roles or the causes they champion. Items include the glittering red Bruce Oldfield gown worn by the Princess for a state visit to Saudi Arabia in 1987.
Dress Codes will also reveal hidden treasures of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, including a dress worn by fashion legend Dame Vivienne Westwood when she collected her DBE for services to fashion in 2006. The black polka dot draped gown was one of the designer’s own creations, with a train referencing traditional court dress. The deconstructed design and styling represented Westwood’s rule-breaking values and politics.
Reflecting the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection's exceptional collection of men's uniforms, the Dress Codes exhibition will include an extremely rare Japanese court suit dating from the early 20th century. Featuring gold embroidered paulownia flowers (a traditional symbol or mon of Japanese government), it demonstrates the global influence of European style diplomatic uniforms. The uniform has gone through painstaking conservation by a team of Historic Royal Palaces experts, informed by research with experts in Japan, to prepare it for display.
Dress Codes will be included in palace admission.
Explore the stories of the Tudor Court
Groups to Hampton Court Palace can now explore a stunning new display that will introduce them to the transformative age of Henry VIII’s early reign, set within the newly reopened Wolsey Rooms. Revealed through original artworks and historic objects – including famous ‘History paintings’ like The Field of Cloth of Gold – your clients will discover the people of the Tudor court: soldiers in Henry’s army, the craftsmen who made his palaces, and the influence of the wider world. Alongside four surviving history paintings, visitors will see portraits of European Kings and Queens, sailors and soldiers, musicians and jousters, and displays of rare surviving artefacts from the Tudor era.
This exciting new display is a permanent addition to the offering at Hampton Court Palace and included in palace admission. Email groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk for further information.
Annual events to look out for
Spring Spectacular at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
From 09 March – 06 May the gardens and grounds at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens will be awash with colour as tens of thousands of tulip and daffodil bulbs come into bloom.
The castle gardens are already beautiful in Spring, but this floral extravaganza is the gorgeously scented icing on the cake!
Gardening groups and general flower flowers are welcome to come and see if they can identify all 59 daffodils bred in Northern Ireland.
One day only! On a selected date in March, the castle hosts an Early Spring Daffodil show where breeders will descend on Hillsborough to exhibit hundreds of rare and unusual daffodil blooms. Stay tuned for what date it will be in 2024!
Tulip Festival at Hampton Court Palace
From April - May each year, the gardens and courtyards at Hampton Court Palace become a kaleidoscope of colours as thousands of tulips bloom! A special trail guides visitors around the stunning displays, revealing the history of the tulips, believed to date back to Mary II (1662-1694). Our expert gardening team are also be on hand to provide tips and information to keen gardeners during their visit.
Planning for 2025? We've got you covered!
Opening May 2025, visitors to the Tower of London will be able to experience the Medieval Palace and Cradle Tower as they have never experienced it before! Your clients will be transported to the medieval period through colour, sound and innovative story telling, and bringing to life the fascinating characters who lived and worked here. For the first time, visitors will not only experience the stories of the kings who built and inhabited these spaces, but also of the queens who ruled with them and the household who served them.
A new perspective at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens - Opening in March 2025, this exhibition in the Stable Yard Gallery at Hillsborough Castle will explore the intimate relationship between fashion designer and royal client, revealing the process behind the creation of some of their most important couture commissions. The exhibition will feature three spectacular royal dresses never displayed in Northern Ireland before, alongside original sketches, fabric swatches, embroidery samples, letters, unseen photographs and film footage.
All exhibitions will be included in palace admission. Email groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk for more information.