British Queen Elizabeth II's century of fashion

The late Queen Elizabeth II often wore the colours of the Commonwealth on overseas visits - helping to spread "soft power" - as seen in a new exhibition of her clothes in London. The BBC's Senior Royal Correspondent Daniela Relph has a behind-the-scenes look at Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at the King's Gallery - including how curator Caroline de Guitaut selected outfits from each of the ten decades of the late Queen's life.

On show are not only examples of the 'Royal uniform' - a day dress with matching coat, a string of pearls and a handbag (famously with no money inside) - but also more daring outfits like the tassled suede jacket with First Nations-style floral motifs on the shoulders which was given to her on a visit to Yellowknife, Canada in 1970, which she wore with her evening gown and tiara. The diplomatic power of her clothes is shown in a white gown with a green waterfall train reflecting the colours of the Pakistani flag, a dress worn in Japan with kimono-shaped sleeves adorned with cherry blossom across the skirt and outfits decorated with maple leaves and lotus flowers for visits to Canada and India.

The silk which the late Queen's wedding dress was made from has started to degrade so conservator Cecilia Oliver has skilfully reinforced the Sir Norman Hartnell gown - though the pearls on the detachable15 foot train have remained in place, as they were sewn on individually. The veil just needed a light vacuum to remove dirt picked up in Westminster Abbey. Another historic garment on show is the late Queen's Christening gown commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1841, which has now been worn by more than 60 Royal babies.

During the last 10 years of her life the late Queen wore clothes designed by Stewart Parvin, who used bold blocks of colour which suited her and also made her visible in a crowd, helping to promote high quality British design and tailoring.

Presenter: Daniela Relph
Producers: Paula McGrath and Adele Tobe