To celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday, an exhibition of the British monarch's wardrobe has opened at Buckingham Palace.

The show, Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style From The Queen's Wardrobe, which runs until Oct 2, includes two outfits the queen wore during her historic state visit to China in October 1986. Exhibitions also are scheduled at her two other official residences.

"The pink silk evening dress embroidered with sprays of tree peony blossoms, the national flower of China and a revered symbol in Chinese art and culture, was worn for a state banquet in Beijing," says Caroline de Guitaut, curator of the Royal Collection, which manages public events at the queen's official residences.

"The queen was the first British reigning monarch to visit China on a state visit, and it's a very key piece of her wardrobe on display here."

Another piece that has a strong connection to China is the purple ensemble designed by the late couturier Hardy Amies.

The queen was photographed wearing this ensemble when she visited the Great Wall of China with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1986.

The show at Buckingham Palace, featuring more than 80 dresses and 60 fashion accessories, examines how clothes and fashionable dresses have supported the queen in various roles as head of state, head of the armed forces and head of the Commonwealth.

It presents the fashions of 10 decades, from the 1920s to present day, showing the unique requirements of royal couture. The Buckingham Palace exhibition includes ceremonial attire as well as outfits worn at family celebrations, such as weddings and christenings.

Wardrobes from the queen's early childhood, her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh and her coronation, as well as outfits created for royal tours and state visits, are represented.

Also on display is the dress she wore for the Thames River Pageant, part of the celebrations marking her diamond jubilee in June 2012.

Another very recognizable outfit is the one she wore when she appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

wangmingjie@chinadaily.com.cn