Royal Style Revisited: Heritage Brands Pay Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Few public figures have shaped modern British style quite like Queen Elizabeth II. Known for her unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and homegrown design, the late monarch’s wardrobe was more than ceremonial dress. It was a quiet but powerful endorsement of British industry, skill and tradition.

Now, as the nation marks the centenary of her birth, a group of historic British brands closely associated with the Queen have come together to honour her enduring influence. A new collection of clothing, accessories and fragrance launches today alongside an official publication and a landmark exhibition exploring the monarch’s lifelong relationship with fashion.

The participating makers include Burberry, Launer London, Kinloch Anderson, Corgi Socks, Dents, Floris London and Fulton Umbrellas, all current or former Royal Warrant holders whose creations accompanied the Queen throughout her reign.

The ranges have been developed in collaboration with Royal Collection Trust, the charity responsible for caring for and sharing the Royal Collection. Their release coincides with Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, opening on 10 April 2026 at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. The exhibition promises to be the most comprehensive display of the Queen’s clothing and accessories ever assembled, offering new insight into how her wardrobe blended diplomacy, practicality and national identity.

A Tartan Thread Connecting Past and Present

Unifying the centenary collections is the Old Stewart Tartan, a pattern long associated with the Royal Family and especially favoured by the Queen during private moments at Balmoral Castle. Rendered in softened tones inspired by Scotland’s natural landscape, the tartan evokes the informality and personal comfort that characterised her off duty style.

Across the new ranges, the motif appears on everything from textiles and accessories to fragrance packaging, forming a subtle narrative link between the monarch’s private life and public image.

The Brands Behind the Wardrobe

Burberry, awarded its Royal Warrant in 1955, was a familiar presence during the Queen’s outdoor engagements. The brand’s new capsule collection revisits that practical elegance with a tailored gabardine car coat made in Yorkshire, a Scottish woven cashmere scarf and a silk design featuring a hand painted illustration of Balmoral. A newly developed holly green interpretation of the House Check draws inspiration from the Old Stewart Tartan, while archival pieces will feature in the exhibition itself.

For many observers, no accessory symbolised the Queen more clearly than her handbag. Launer London, which supplied her bags for over half a century, revisits classic silhouettes through the Traviata and Judi styles, lined in tartan produced by Kinloch Anderson. Several bags from the Queen’s personal collection will also go on public display, offering a rare glimpse into the accessories that accompanied countless state visits and walkabouts.

Scottish textile specialist Kinloch Anderson plays a central role in the story. Holder of the Queen’s Royal Warrant for tailoring and kiltmaking throughout her reign, the company has long designed ceremonial tartans for the Royal Household. Its centenary pieces include a lambswool throw, silk pocket square and tie, each celebrating the craftsmanship that underpinned royal dress traditions for decades.

Elsewhere, Welsh manufacturer Corgi Socks, still operated by successive generations of the Jones family, has produced hand finished socks in the commemorative tartan pattern. The contribution reflects the Queen’s consistent support for family run British businesses.

Glove maker Dents, whose creations completed many of the monarch’s ensembles, introduces traditionally crafted leather gloves in navy and green, presented in tartan lined boxes. The Queen famously selected her own gloves and handbags to finish each outfit, viewing accessories as essential elements rather than afterthoughts.

Fragrance also forms part of the tribute. Floris London, the only perfumer to hold a Royal Warrant from the Queen, launches a special centenary edition of its Night Scented Jasmine eau de toilette, housed in bespoke tartan packaging that nods to royal heritage without sacrificing modern elegance.

And no tribute to her public image would be complete without an umbrella. From the 1960s onwards, the Queen’s transparent ‘birdcage’ umbrellas became instantly recognisable during rainy engagements. Fulton Umbrellas, their original maker, has reimagined the design with tartan trimmed edges, alongside a folding umbrella featuring the commemorative pattern.

Fashion as Diplomacy

Accompanying the exhibition is a new official book, Queen Elizabeth II: Fashion and Style, published today. Drawing on fresh research, the volume explores how clothing functioned as soft diplomacy throughout her seventy year reign, revealing the collaboration between designers, dressmakers and craftspeople that lay behind even the most familiar outfits.

Together, the exhibition, publication and product collections underline an often overlooked aspect of the late monarch’s legacy. Her wardrobe was never purely personal. Each coat, handbag or pair of gloves quietly championed British manufacturing at home and abroad.

Continuing the Legacy

The centenary collections and official publication are available online and through Royal Collection Trust shops in London, Edinburgh and Windsor. Proceeds support the conservation of the Royal Collection, held in trust by the Sovereign for the nation, ensuring that the objects associated with Britain’s longest serving monarch remain accessible for generations to come.

In celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s centenary, these heritage brands are doing more than revisiting archival designs. They are reaffirming the values she consistently represented: craftsmanship, continuity and a distinctly British sense of style that remains instantly recognisable around the world.

The information in this article was kindly provided by The Royal Collection Trust. All views expressed remain independent and genuine.