A Royal Garment Worn by Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry Is on Display for the First Time

Meredith KileThu, April 9, 2026 at 9:03 PM UTC

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Royal christening gown worn by Queen Elizabeth (left), King Charles (center) and Prince William (right)Credit: Central Press/Getty; Mirrorpix via Getty; Anwar Hussein/WireImage -

Over 300 items from Queen Elizabeth's personal wardrobe are on display at Buckingham Palace in honor of what would have been her centennial

Included in the collection is the Honiton christening gown, which has been worn by 62 royal babies

The original gown was worn by all royal babies until the mid 2000s, when the Queen commissioned a replica for future generations

A royal garment with over a century of sentimental value is currently on display at Buckingham Palace for the first time.

An exhibition of more than 300 items from Queen Elizabeth's personal wardrobe, titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, is being featured at The King’s Gallery from April 10 to Oct. 18.

The collection includes everything from the Queen's wedding dress to her coronation ensemble to the outfits she wore to meet celebrities, dignitaries and heads of state. There is also an impressive selection of jewelry, hats, handbags, gloves and more.

More than half of the collection is on display for the first time, including one special piece that was handed down throughout generations of royals: the Honiton christening gown, which has been worn by 62 royal babies dating back to the baptism of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Victoria in 1841.

The white silk gown was made to resemble Queen Victoria's own wedding dress, with the lace made by Janet Sutherland, a miner's daughter from Falkirk, Scotland.

The Queen later noted in her journal that she and her husband, Prince Albert, "agreed that all had gone off beautifully and in a very dignified manner."

The Royal Christening Robe on display at the "Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Style" exhibition in The King's Gallery at Buckingham PalaceCredit: Tristan Fewings/Getty

Victoria and Albert's first son, the future King Edward VII, was the first future monarch to be baptized in the gown. He was followed by his son, George V, then his son, Edward VIII, who abdicated. Queen Elizabeth's father, George VI, was also baptized in the gown, as were her two direct successors, King Charles and Prince William.

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Other royals who were baptized in the original gown include Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Princess Diana holds Prince Harry on the day of his christening, Dec. 21, 1984Credit: PA Images via Getty

Despite painstaking care to keep it preserved — after each wear, the gown was hand-washed with spring water and stored in a dark room — sometime in the mid 2000s, the Queen decided it was time to retire the original gown and have a replica made for future generations to wear.

Queen Elizabeth's grandchild Lady Louise Windsor, now 22, was the last royal baby to be christened in the original gown. Queen Elizabeth's youngest grandchild and Louise's brother, James, Earl of Wessex, now 18, was the first to wear the replica.

The replica gown has since been used to christen a new generation of royals, including William and Kate's children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

Prince William and Kate Middleton celebrate Prince George's christening on Oct. 23, 2013Credit: John Stillwell - WPA Pool /Getty

Expert conservators at the Royal Collection spent 100 hours preparing the gown for display in the exhibit. It was carefully handwashed, and the Royal Collection Trust’s textile conservator Cecilia Oliver repaired small holes and added “subtle reinforcements to delicate parts of the fabric.”

Curator Caroline de Guitaut said in a statement, “The christening robe was the most significant garment worn by Princess Elizabeth in her infancy and is an exceptional example of British craftsmanship, something Queen Elizabeth went on to champion throughout her life.”

“As the earliest piece of clothing worn by the Queen, and by so many royal babies before and after her, it holds a special place in her wardrobe. We are delighted to be able to share it with as many people as possible in this centenary year.”

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