The Royal Family marked what would have been the late monarch’s centenary year through a series of commemorative events celebrating the life, service and enduring legacy of Her late Majesty.
Visit to ‘Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life’ in Style at The King’s Gallery
The King and Queen visited Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, a new exhibition curated by Royal Collection Trust and shown at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace.
During the visit, Their Majesties toured the largest and most comprehensive presentation of Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion ever mounted, viewing items which traced her life and reign through dress, including her christening robe, bridesmaid dresses, wedding dress and coronation dress. Accompanied by the exhibition’s curator, Caroline de Guitaut, Surveyor of The King’s Works of Art, The King and Queen heard how more than 300 items from the Royal Collection were brought together, many of which had never before been displayed.
Their Majesties also met Royal Collection Trust staff and contemporary fashion designers who had contributed to the exhibition, including Erdem Moralıoğlu, as well as students from The King’s Foundation’s Chanel and le19M Métiers d’Art Embroidery, Millinery and Atelier Fellowship programmes, whose studies had drawn inspiration from the exhibition.
The visit formed the first in a series of engagements marking the centenary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.
Message from The King
On what would have been Her Majesty’s 100th birthday, a message from The King was released, in which he remembered his ‘Darling Mama’.
Today, as we mark what would have been my beloved mother’s one hundredth birthday, my Family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a Sovereign who meant so much to us all and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory.
Queen Elizabeth’s ‘promise with destiny kept’ shaped the world around her and touched the lives of countless people across our nation, the Commonwealth and beyond. Her near-century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served.
Millions will remember her for moments of national significance; many others for a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits…. or for that marvellous twinkle of the eye when sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear in the final months of her life.
Much about the times we now live in I suspect may have troubled her deeply, but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon. For as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first ever public broadcast, aged just 14, we can each play our part ‘to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place’. It is a belief which I share, with all my heart.
So young or old, and whatever our differences, let us therefore seek to follow this example as we make today not the marking of a milestone felt by absence but the celebration of a life well-lived, and a legacy of hope, as we strive together towards a ‘better, happier tomorrow’ – one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity and security.
In this, I renew my own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all.
God bless you, darling Mama; you remain forever in our hearts and prayers.
Queen Elizabeth Memorial showcased at the British Museum
Later, The King and Queen, joined by Members of the Royal Family, visited the British Museum to view the final design recommendations for the Queen Elizabeth Memorial.
Accompanied by the Prime Minister and members of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, including its Chair, Lord Janvrin, Their Majesties viewed a scale model of the memorial in the Reading Room with the memorial’s designer, Lord Norman Foster. The visit included displays of artwork and a short film illustrating key elements of the design.
The King and Queen met the artists commissioned to create sculptures for the memorial—Martin Jennings, Yinka Shonibare and Karen Newman—and viewed maquettes of their proposed works, all of which were to remain on public display at the British Museum. Their Majesties also met representatives of the Queen Elizabeth Trust and the organisations contributing to the memorial and its associated legacy projects.
The Princess Royal opens The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in The Regent’s Park
The Princess Royal officially opened The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in The Regent’s Park, London.
Created as a tranquil and fully accessible space for reflection, the two‑acre garden was developed by The Royal Parks in collaboration with HTA Design. During the visit, The Princess Royal was shown the garden’s design features, including a circular wildlife‑supporting pond, climate‑resilient planting and a viewing platform overlooking The Regent’s Park.
Her Royal Highness met members of the garden project team and the gardeners responsible for its creation, and unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening. The garden, which commemorated the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II, was scheduled to open to the public later that month.
Reception at Buckingham Palace
To conclude the day’s commemorations, The King and Queen, together with Members of the Royal Family, hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.
Held in the Marble Hall, the reception welcomed representatives from a number of Queen Elizabeth II’s former patronages, including charities and organisations reflecting the breadth of her interests and public service.
Their Majesties were also joined by centenarians celebrating their own 100th birthdays on the same day, whom His Majesty met as centenary cards were presented. The reception provided an opportunity to reflect collectively on the life, service and enduring legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing the centenary commemorations to a close.
