Hundreds of items from Queen Elizabeth II's closet are set to go on display at Buckingham Palace in what is being billed as the largest-ever exhibition of the late queen's fashion.
More than half of the items, which span every decade of Elizabeth's life, are on display for the first time ever at the "Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" exhibition, opening Friday.
The queen, who died in 2022 at the age of 96, became an unlikely fashionista during her 70-year reign, the longest in British history.
She sat in the front row at Richard Quinn's London Fashion Week show in 2018, next to then-Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, and graced the cover of Vogue several years later, during the celebration of her Platinum Jubilee.
Over the years, Elizabeth became known for everything from her colorful fashion choices that helped her stand out in crowds to her stylish hats and her always-visible purses.
"Her role wearing these pieces around the world was really fundamental to the initial success of British couture," exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut told ABC News' Maggie Rulli in an interview that aired Thursday on "Good Morning America."
Among the items displayed in the exhibition are everything from Elizabeth's childhood clothes to her wedding dress, her coronation gown and gowns she wore at state banquets with world leaders.
"Everything is very much of its time, but the overall overarching, pervading sense is someone who dresses with consideration, with elegance and mostly with restraint," de Guitaut said of the collection.
The outfits in the exhibition that Elizabeth wore to public engagements all share a common theme: Color.
"People turned out to see her, carrying out her official engagements, and they really wanted to see her. Even if they were distant, she would be visible and they would have that connection to her," de Guitaut said of Elizabeth's color choices. "And I think that's how color really played out in the wardrobe to a great degree."
Also included in the exhibition are some of Elizabeth's jewelry, including her wedding jewelry and the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara, displayed for the first time in almost 20 years, according to the palace.
"Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style" is open to the public at Buckingham Palace from April 10 to Oct. 18, 2026.
