Buckingham Palace

FROM her stunning wedding dress to her magnificent coronation gown, Queen Elizabeth II wore incredible, priceless outfits throughout her lifetime.

Now, Buckingham Palace is set to open its doors for a new exhibition showing them off – along with hundreds of other items once worn by the late Queen.

The new exhibit is called Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style and will open in April 2026.

The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace will display hundreds of items from evening dresses to simple accessories.

Caroline de Guitaut, Exhibition Curator and Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art said: “In the year that she would have turned 100 years old, this exhibition will be a celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s uniquely British style and her enduring fashion legacy.”

There will be dresses worn in every decade of her life before she died in 2022 – some of the notable pieces include a bridesmaid dress Queen Elizabeth II wore at age eight.

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Another is her ivory wedding dress which was designed by Norman Hartnell and worn in 1947.

Also starring in the exhibition will be her coronation dress worn in 1953 and the outfit she wore at Princess Margaret’s wedding.

It’s not all formal wear though, in the exhibit will also be her off-duty outfits.

There’s accessories galore too, from jewellery to hats and shoes.

Visitors will be able to see never-before-seen design sketches, fabric samples and handwritten letters.

The exhibition will run from April 10 until October 18, 2026.

Tickets to the exhibition cost £22 for adults, those aged 18-24 can get a ticket for £14.

Children between 5-17 can enter for £11, children under 5 go free. And those on Universal Credit can get £1 tickets.

Often The King’s Gallery has longer exhibition seasons compared to other parts of the palace.

This is because The King’s Gallery not actually part of Buckingham Palace’s main building, instead, it’s is located within the grounds.

It has a separate public entrance and its own ticketed access

Previous exhibitions at the gallery included The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, focusing on Edward VII and George V’s era; Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography, featuring royal photographers.

And Leonardo da Vinci: A Life in Drawing, showcasing his master drawings.

As for the rest of the palace, its state rooms will reopen for summer visitors from July 9 to September 27, 2026.

There will be daily access for self-guided tours of the lavish rooms and gardens when King Charles is not in residence.

You can go for an exclusive tour of Buckingham Palace’s East Wing…

Buckingham Palace is continuing to run its East Wing Exclusive Guided Tour.

The wing had undergone a five-year major renovation with every floorboard ripped up, everything rewired and 3,500 works of art removed into storage and conservation before being put back in place.

The tour runs for 90–minutes and allows visitors access to the “principal rooms to discover the spaces beyond the famous façade of Buckingham Palace”.

During this time, guests get to see a glimpse of the Yellow Drawing Room, the 240ft long Principal Corridor with Japanese, Chinese, English and French artwork – and the Centre Room where royals pause before emerging to greet The Mall.

At the moment, you can book a tour of the East Wing from January through March – tickets cost £100 per adult.

For more experiences, here are 30 of the best ones around the world that everyone should do this year.

Plus, here are Britain’s best hidden gems have been named from free museums to brewery tours.

ITV’s Lorraine Kelly made her feelings clear about Meghan Markle during her daytime show, as she discussed the Duchess of Sussex’s attempts to contact her ill father after his leg amputation surgery

Presenter Lorraine Kelly has taken a swipe at Meghan Markle, after the Duchess of Sussex claimed she’d tried reaching out to her sick father Thomas Markle following his hospital admission for an emergency procedure that led to his leg being amputated.

During a recent instalment of her daytime programme, the 66 year old mother discussed the situation with a correspondent reporting live from outside Buckingham Palace, who suggested the Duchess had only been in touch with her unwell father to dodge bad press.

Lorraine’s disapproval was clear as she pulled a face before commenting: “Yeah that’s very true. I mean the press have tracked him down, she could always give them a call. I don’t know if that will happen, though.”

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The 44 year old wife of Prince Harry hasn’t spoken to her dad, who’s currently recuperating from surgery in a hospital in the Philippines, since 2018. Despite insisting she’d attempted to send him a message, she’s apparently wiped his phone number and hasn’t arranged any plans to see him.

According to The Sunday Times, the mother of two avoided ringing him directly at the hospital, worried that a phone conversation might be listened in on, reports the Express.

On Wednesday 10 December, Meghan’s representative confirmed she’d finally managed to make direct contact with her father. “Given that a Daily Mail reporter has remained at her father’s bedside throughout, broadcasting each interaction and breaching clear ethical boundaries, it has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days.

“With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands,” the statement confirmed.

Thomas has been outspoken about his desire for reconciliation with his daughter in recent years. Speaking from his hospital bed to friend Caroline Graham, Mail on Sunday US Editor, he revealed: “Of course I want to speak to her (Meghan) but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances.

“I’ve always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her. I don’t want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.”

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