Assistant curator Melanie Edwards adjusts some of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II dresses at the Buckingham Palace in London July 25, 2006. Britain's Buckingham Palace has thrown open its doors, giving tourists the chance to peek around Queen Elizabeth II's official residence. Each year when the queen is on holiday in Scotland, thousands of visitors flock to the palace in the heart of London to admire the splendour of the State Rooms and the Royal Collection exhibition. This year, tourists get to see the largest-ever showing of the sovereign's evening dresses and personal jewellery. To mark her 80th birthday in April, 80 outfits dating from the 1940s to the present day are on show, filling the Ball Supper Room with a dazzling array of colours. The sparkling dresses, made for occasions such as banquets, state visits and family events, give an insight into how changing fashions have influenced Queen Elizabeth's style through the years. They include a silver tissue full-length number embroidered with sequins, beads, pearls and diamante. It was worn during the 1972 state visit to France. Among the priceless jewellery on display are private gifts to the monarch from members of her family, and famous pieces such as the Cambridge Emerald Necklace, made for Queen Mary's coronation in 1911, and the Vladimir Tiara. Queen Elizabeth and members of the royal family are on a cruise around Scotland's Western Isles before heading to Balmoral Castle, the estate purchased by Queen Victoria, which remains the royals' favourite British summer retreat. Buckingham Palace is open to the public until September 26.   (Agencies)

英國白金漢宮近日敞開大門，讓游客們有機會一睹女王伊麗莎白二世的官邸。 每年，當女王去蘇格蘭度假時，都會由數千名的游客涌向這個地處倫敦市中心的殿堂，參觀宮內華麗的國事廳和王室藏品展覽。 而在今年，游客們將看到史上規模最大的一次女王晚禮服和珠寶展。 女王今年四月已年屆80歲，作為慶祝活動之一，此次展覽展出了從上世紀40年代至今女王穿過的80套服裝，展覽廳內也因此而變得五光十色。 這些華麗的禮服都是為女王出席宴會、進行國事訪問及參加家庭聚會而專門訂做的。通過展覽，游客們可以看到這些年來時尚潮流的變化對伊麗莎白女王的服飾產生了怎樣的影響。 女王“衣柜”里有一件繡有亮片、小珠子、珍珠和人造鉆石的銀色絲質全長禮服，1972年女王對法國進行國事訪問時就穿過這件衣服。 在展出的貴重珠寶中，有一些是女王的家族成員送給她的禮物，另外還有一些著名的珠寶，如1911年瑪麗女王加冕時佩戴的劍橋綠寶石項鏈以及符拉基米爾鉆石等。 目前，伊麗莎白女王和其他王室成員正在蘇格蘭西部群島區巡游，之后將前往巴莫拉爾城堡，這所城堡是維多利亞女王購置的地產，如今仍是英國王室最喜愛的避暑勝地。 白金漢宮將一直開放到9月26日。 (英語點津姍姍編輯)