At the heart of the exhibition will be a rarely displayed, full-length portrait of Queen Charlotte by Thomas Gainsborough (c.1781), which usually hangs in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. Painted by candlelight, it depicts the Queen in a magnificent gown, worn over a wide hoop and covered with gold spangles and tassels. The painting will be shown alongside a beautifully preserved gown of a similar style, worn at Queen Charlotte’s court in the 1760s, on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath. The Georgians are known for many things, from courtly spectacle and political change to the birth of the Industrial Revolution. But one thing really set the era apart in history: the fashion. If there was one thing Georgian society did well, it was dress up. But rather than just look pretty, many of these garments tell a much bigger story. ‘Dress is so much more than just what we see on the surface,’ says curator Anna Reynolds. ‘I t’s fascinating what we can learn about a period when looking at it through a fashion history lens. Visitors might be surprised to learn how much the Georgian period has in common with the fashion landscape we know today, from influencers and fashion magazines to ideas about the value of clothes and how they can be recycled and repurposed.’ You can find out all about this and more at The Queen’s Gallery’s latest exhibition, Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians. Here’s seven things not to miss on your next visit. 7 Things Not To Miss At Style & Society: Dressing The Georgians 1. The Earliest Surviving British Royal Wedding Dress The man wears elegant walking dress also with a slight fullness at the shoulder and a waistcoat with lapels. He wears tight pantaloons acceptable for day wear after about 1805 and wears a higher ‘top’ hat.

These 1762 coronation portraits of George III and Queen Caroline by Allen Ramsey (1713–84) are wonderful to admire. Ramsay reported that he had ‘the Royal robes set up upon my figure’. It was common practice for clothing to be lent to an artist after an initial sitting to avoid the subject needing to sit for lengthy periods.Visitors will learn how the Georgians ushered in many of the cultural trends we know today, including the first stylists and influencers, the birth of a specialised fashion press and the development of shopping as a leisure activity. From the popularity of fancy-dress and the evolution of childrenswear, to the introduction of military uniforms and the role of clothing in showing support for revolutions at home and abroad, Style & Society will explore what clothing can tell us about all areas of life in the rapidly changing world of 18th-century Britain.

I was so pleased to have this press image as the snuffbox is very small (under 2 inches wide). Again, it was dark in the side room where it was displayed so it wasn’t easy to see this level of detail. German, Snuffbox, c.1770. However, the curator, Anna Reynolds, has set out to uncover the function of these garments in their time. Hence she starts from the inside out: George III’s soft linen undershirt is here, along with a finely made pair of linen stays. As well as the parks and pleasure gardens, people dressed to be seen in the new coffee houses and at the theatre. “This is where you get new fashions spreading.”

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The exhibition will include items of jewellery from Queen Charlotte’s famed collection, such as a diamond ring featuring a miniature of her husband George III, given to her on her wedding day. Other accessories on display will include beautiful English and French fans, which reached their fashionable zenith during this period, some representing topical events such as the first hot air balloon flight, and jewel-encrusted snuffboxes, reflecting the craze amongst both men and women for taking snuff throughout the 18th century. Advancements in haircare, cosmetics, eyewear and dentistry will also be explored. Immensely tall and wide hairstyles became fashionable for women in the latter half of the century, resulting in the development of an entirely new trade: the hairdresser. Quirky items on display will include a set of miniature bellows and a sprinkler used for applying hair powder, loaned by The School of Historical Dress. The exhibition will include items of jewellery from Queen Charlotte’s famed collection, such as a diamond ring featuring a miniature of her husband George III, given to her on her wedding day. Other accessories on display will include beautiful English and French fans, which reached their fashionable zenith during this period, some representing topical events such as the first hot air balloon flight, and jewel-encrusted snuffboxes, reflecting the craze amongst both men and women for taking snuff throughout the 18th century. Portraits are an invaluable source for understanding the fashions of the past. While some were modified for artistic effect, others depicted dress with great accuracy. At the heart of the exhibition will be a rarely displayed, full-length portrait of Queen Charlotte by Thomas Gainsborough, c.1781, which usually hangs in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle. Painted by candlelight, it depicts the Queen in a magnificent gown, worn over a wide hoop and covered with gold spangles and tassels. The painting will be shown alongside a beautifully preserved gown of a similar style, worn at Queen Charlotte’s court in the 1760s, on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath. Known as Britain’s ‘Sistine Chapel’, The Painted Hall is located in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. One of the most spectacular Baroque interiors in Europe that took nineteen years from the start of the commission to its completion in 1726. It makes for a wonderful trip as part of a visit to Greenwich.