The art of dressing icons
Step into the world of regal elegance with Royal Style in the Making, a captivating new exhibition at Hillsborough Castle. Unveiling the intimate bond between royal clients and fashion designers, discover how the British fashion industry has crafted the iconic style of the British royal women.
The exhibition showcases three stunning outfits on display, including the extraordinary toile used in the design of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s coronation gown, worn in 1937.
Original design drawings feature some of Britain’s finest designers including Madame Handley Seymour, Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies and Oliver Messel. Don’t miss sketches from David Sassoon, for Diana, Princess of Wales, including her handwritten comments.
A thrill for fashion fans, don’t miss this unique journey into regal elegance and history, only until 04 January 2026.
Learn more about the Members-Only Royal Style in the Making preview day.
When
15 March 2025 - 04 January 2026
Ticketing information
Tickets on sale soon.
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Included in combined castle tour and gardens tickets (Members go free)
Coronation gown toile
Designed for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
See a rare surviving toile for the 1937 coronation gown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The toile is a full-sized working pattern for the completed gown, created by court dressmaker Madame Handley-Seymour.
As a favoured couturier of the dowager Queen Mary, Madame Handley-Seymour understood the rules and traditions of royal dress. This detailed silk satin prototype demonstrates her use of national floral emblems to create a sense of tradition and continuity at the start of an unexpected new reign.
18th century-style ballgown, 1964
Designed for Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Also on display will be an 18th century-style ballgown worn by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. The gown was designed by Oliver Messel and made of silk brocade and lace, with wire, beading and cord decoration.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon wore the dress to a Georgian-themed charity costume ball at the Mansion House in 1964.
Messel was a celebrated stage designer, known for his dramatic flair and imagination. Margaret's first experience of theatre had been Messel's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1938.
His talents in painting, sculpture, stage production, as well as his expertise in creating fairytale worlds, made Messel the perfect choice to design Margaret's ballgown.
Evening dress, 1979
Designed for Queen Elizabeth II
Sir Hardy Amies designed this dress for Queen Elizabeth II to wear at a State Dinner during her official visit to Bahrain in 1979. It is made of silk chiffon embellished with gold thread, and its flowing kaftan shape is both fashionable and appropriate for a formal occasion. Elizabeth wore the dress on multiple occasions, including to a royal film premiere in the same year.
Amies introduced a brighter colour palette to Elizabeth II's wardrobe to ensure she stood out during public engagements.
The royal partnership started in 1950 when Elizabeth, as Princess, placed a small order to Amies for her Canadian tour. Only five years later, Amies was award the Royal Warrant as official dressmaker to the Queen.
The pair would work together for 50 years. Amies created a fashionable and elegant working wardrobe, evolving Elizabeth II's image from fairytale princess to a 'business-like' modern monarch.
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- Christmas
Christmas at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
Explore the gardens this Christmas transformed with beautiful decorations inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas.
- Until 05 January 2025
- In line with gardens opening hours.
- Hillsborough Castle
- Included in all admission tickets (Members go free)
- Things to see
The Gardens
Discover the ornamental lawns, meandering waterways, peaceful woodlands and picturesque glens that surround Hillsborough Castle.
- In line with gardens opening hours
- Last entry one hour before closing.
- Hillsborough Castle
- Included in all admission tickets (Members go free)
- Things to see
Jubilee Parterre
Discover a charming formal garden and find out why the castle's 19th-century summer house is so unusual.
- In line with gardens opening hours
- Hillsborough Castle
- Included in all admission tickets (Members go free)
Browse more history and stories
The story of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
‘The Grandest House in County Down’
Art at Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle has become a place in which to see amazing art
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Official Hillsborough Castle & Gardens Guidebook
Descriptive, informative, authoritative - this superb guidebook is the best way to learn all there is about the Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.
£4.99