Behind the Royal Wardrobe: Hillsborough Castle Exhibition Reveals the Art of Royal Fashion
An extraordinary new exhibition at Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle is offering visitors unprecedented access to the secretive world of royal couture, showcasing the intimate relationships between monarchs and their designers that shaped a century of iconic royal style.
"Royal Style in the Making," running from March 15, 2025, through January 4, 2026, transforms the historic royal residence into a fashion showcase featuring remarkable garments worn by Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, and even design sketches for Princess Diana's wardrobe.
The exhibition delves beyond the finished garments to explore the creative process behind royal fashion, revealing how these iconic looks were conceived, developed, and brought to life.
"Royal and ceremonial dress isn't simply fashion—it's an incredibly performative mode of dress," explains curator Claudia Acott Williams. "These garments were designed to tell stories and create moments of pageantry and spectacle."
The Master Craftspeople Behind Royal Fashion
The collection highlights the work of five legendary 20th-century royal couturiers: Madame Handley-Seymour, Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, Oliver Messel, and David Sassoon—each instrumental in crafting the visual identity of the monarchy.
One of the exhibition's most remarkable artifacts is a full-sized "toile" (working pattern) for the Queen Mother's 1937 coronation gown. Created by court dressmaker Madame Handley-Seymour, this three-dimensional sketch still bears the original tacking threads and embroidery samples used during fittings.
"This is an extraordinary insight into the creation process," says Acott Williams. "You can see how such a magnificent garment was fitted precisely to the Queen's body."
Personal Relationships That Shaped Royal Style
The exhibition reveals the surprisingly intimate working relationships between royals and their designers. Letters from Queen Elizabeth II to Norman Hartnell display their direct communication, while sketches by David Sassoon for Princess Diana feature her handwritten notes with specific requests like "this in dark blue please" alongside small approval ticks.
"There was a very personal connection between them," notes Acott Williams. "Diana would have long fittings at Kensington Palace, sitting on the floor surrounded by fabric samples."
Iconic Garments on Display
Visitors can view a stunning salmon-pink silk chiffon evening dress with bat-wing sleeves worn by Queen Elizabeth II during her 1979 state visit to Bahrain. Created by Hardy Amies, this piece represents the monarch's evolution toward bolder fashion choices.
"The 1970s was a period of significant political and social change, and there was a real impetus within the Royal Family to reflect the times," explains Acott Williams. "Amies was instrumental in shepherding the Queen toward the brighter colors she became known for in later years."
Another highlight is an eighteenth-century-style blue and gold ballgown worn by Princess Margaret to a London charity event in 1964. Designed by Oliver Messel, a leading stage and screen designer who was also the uncle of Princess Margaret's then-husband Antony Armstrong-Jones, the gown represents the crossover between theatrical design and royal fashion.
"Margaret was mesmerized by Messel's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream when she was just a child," Acott Williams reveals. "Years later, she married his nephew, and they developed an incredibly close relationship that continued even beyond her divorce."
The Legacy of Royal Design
The exhibition offers more than just a glimpse of beautiful clothes—it provides insight into how royal fashion helped shape the monarchy's public image throughout decades of social change.
"We're all familiar with these women and what they wore," concludes Acott Williams, "but this exhibition helps us understand more about the people who dressed them and how those relationships worked. These garments were created by Britain's greatest craftspeople, with extraordinary thought, research, and skill going into each piece."
Set against the elegant backdrop of Hillsborough Castle, itself a working royal residence, the exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to appreciate the artistry and strategic thought behind some of the most photographed garments in modern history.
