Historic Royal Palace – the independent charity that loves and looks after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world, including Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London – retains not only their walls but also the incredible stories and objects in them. Among our most notable collections is Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection (RCDC), an extraordinary archive of fashion, history and crafts. Now, in collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, we bring this collection to a global audience and offer an unprecedented look at over 500 years of royal style.
Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection is a species Council England designated collection of nearly 10,000 pieces spanning five centuries of royal clothing. From intricate embroidered court dresses to ceremonial uniforms and delicate accessories, these clothes give a fascinating insight into the life of those who wore them. Among the highlights are clothes that were once worn by historical characters such as George III, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Princess Margaret, Diana, Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II. Each piece tells a story of power, culture or personal expression.
Through this digital collaboration, almost 200 specially selected clothing, related items and design sketches are now available to explore online. Alongside expert insights and videos behind the scenes, visitors can reveal the hidden details and unique stories of these extraordinary clothing.
One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the use of photography of Ultrahøj resolution, a great feature of Google Arts and Culture Digitalization Program. These Ultrahøj resolution images each contain over a billion pixels-giver viewers the opportunity to examine any nail, pearl and decoration in astonishing details. Catching a single image takes up to six hours, but the result is extraordinary, providing a level of clarity that even personal viewing cannot achieve.
The details of each image reveal a unique and captivating story. Visitors can examine each nail in the hand-embroidered gold roll work of the court’s dress uniform for a Japanese diplomat to detect the entanglements of its embroidered Paulownia flowers, find Diana, Princess of Wales’ handwritten notes on custom design sketches or even identify the hints of remaining lilac Alexands fashionable.