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Queen Elizabeth I Has Only 1 Surviving Dress & It's Going on Display This Fall

While there are countless history books on Queen Elizabeth I, the monarch didn’t leave much behind, especially when it comes to personal belongings. In fact, the royal has only one known surviving dress, which has been preserved in private…until now.

Beginning this fall, the sole remaining piece of the queen’s wardrobe will go on display at Hampton Court Palace, which is located about 12 miles outside central London.

After undergoing extensive conservation work, the fabric will be available to the public from October 12 through February 23, 2020. Ticket donations are priced at £23.50 (about $28.50), though discounts are available for families, students and seniors. (More information can be found at hrp.org.uk.)

The dress is made of embroidered silk, sewn with gold and silver threads. For centuries, the item was being preserved as an altar cloth in Herefordshire. And now, it will be displayed alongside her iconic Rainbow Portrait, which features the monarch wearing a similar gown.

queen elizabeth rainbow portrait dress
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

While the rest of Queen Elizabeth I’s wardrobe hasn’t been recovered, Eleri Lynn—a collections curator—previously revealed that they knew exactly what they were dealing with when the piece was discovered back in 2016.

“When I saw it for the first time, I knew immediately that it was something special. As I examined it, I felt as though I had found the Holy Grail, the Mona Lisa of fashion,” she told The Telegraph.

Quick trip across the pond, anyone?



greta

Senior Editor

Greta Heggeness is a California-based editor at PureWow and has been writing about entertainment since 2015. She covers everything from awards shows to exclusive celebrity...