Medieval Fancy Dress for Banquets and Themed Parties: Kings, Queens, Knights, and a Table of Eight

For a medieval banquet, wear the seat you would have taken at the table: a crown and fur-trimmed cloak for the high table, a white surcoat with a red cross for a knight, or a long velvet-look gown or tunic for a lord or lady. At Stokesay Castle's feast in 1290, the lord, his family, and his guests were served first at the "high" end of the hall, according to English Heritage. Medieval fancy dress is welcome, not required, at the UK banquet venues below.

What counts as medieval fancy dress?

Medieval fancy dress is any costume drawn from the Middle Ages, which in England run from Hastings in 1066 to Bosworth in 1485, as English Heritage dates them. Banquets also borrow from the Tudor court that followed (1485 to 1603, per Britannica) and from the Renaissance, which Merriam-Webster dates to between the 14th and 17th centuries; nobody at the door checks your century. Our historical fancy dress costumes cover all three eras, sorted by look below.

Four weeks out: who sits where at your table?

Rank decides who sits where: the high table goes to your king and queen, with knights, lords, and ladies further down. At Hampton Court, Historic Royal Palaces notes that higher-ranking courtiers ate in the Great Watching Chamber and lesser ranks in the Great Hall, with dishes handed out by rank, and Henry VIII's kitchens had 200 staff making over 800 meals a day for the King's household, out of a court of about 1,200, per the Hampton Court kitchens page.

Your table of eight needs fewer cooks but the same cast list:

• The high table (two): a king and a queen, the couple whose birthday, hen do, or idea the night was.
• The knights (two): matching white surcoats read as a pair across the room.
• The lords and ladies (four): two velvet-look gowns, one Renaissance tunic, and one dramatic red gown with a long dark wig.

Shared reds, blues, and golds make the photos look planned. For a hen or stag do, our hen party fancy dress ideas and stag do fancy dress ideas cover the wider group, and our group and family costumes carry more matching sets.

Which king and queen costumes suit the high table?

A king and queen costume for the high table needs a crown and fur trim, because fur marked rank. England's 1363 statute listed which furs each class could wear, as Elspeth Veale's history of the English fur trade records, and Henry VIII's first sumptuary law, in 1510, said only the royal family might wear cloth of gold made with purple silk, according to the History of Parliament. Both our royal costumes include the crown and fur-effect trim.

Men's Royal King Costume

Our Men's Royal King Costume is the whole high-table look in one pack: a tunic with a gold emblem at the chest, a fur-trimmed velvet-look cape, a bronze-coloured crown, and a gold-accented belt. Sizes run M, L, XL, and XXL, by build; between two, go up one for a long event. Add our dagger accessory at the belt to finish the look.

Women's Royal Queen Dress Costume

Our Women's Royal Queen Dress Costume is a full-length red dress with a patterned centre panel, gold trim, bell sleeves, and faux fur at the neckline and cuffs, plus a matching crown, in 100% polyester, sizes S to XXL. The sceptre, jewellery, and gloves are yours to add, so bring our Royal Sceptre for the toast.

What does a knight wear to a banquet?

A banquet knight wears a long surcoat over dark layers, and ours is the white one with a red cross. Britannica ties the white surcoat marked with a red cross to the knights of the Templar order, founded around 1120, during the crusades to the Holy Land that began in 1095. On our own site, knight costumes made up about half of the medieval, Tudor, and Renaissance costumes ordered on morphsuits.co.uk between 23 April and 25 October 2026.

Men's White Medieval Knight Costume

Our Men's White Medieval Knight Costume is a long printed white tunic with a bold red cross and contrasting trims, in 100% polyester with a loose, stretch-friendly fit, sized by chest and height in M, L, XL, and XXL; size up to layer padding underneath. The tunic is the whole pack, so wear it over a black long-sleeved top, dark trousers, and boots, and add our Silver Crusader Helmet with Flip-Up Visor, visor up for dinner.

Younger squires are in our knight, dragon, and wizard costumes for kids guide.

Which gowns and tunics work for lords and ladies?

Lords and ladies wear long velvet-look gowns and belted tunics in deep red, blue, and gold, and each of our four picks has a tiara crown, a feathered hat, or a wig in the pack. Every costume goes through over 30 measurement checks.

Men's Red Lion Crest Renaissance Costume

Our Men's Red Lion Crest Renaissance Costume dresses a court noble: a red velvet-look tunic with gold trim and a lion crest on the chest, matching trousers, a rope belt, and a feathered hat, in 100% polyester, sizes M to XXL. Tunic first, rope belt at the waist, then the hat; our Plastic Fencing Sword makes him a Renaissance swordsman.

Women's Red Renaissance Costume

Our Women's Red Renaissance Costume is a floor-length red velvet-style gown with ornate gold embroidery across the bodice, gold trim along the sleeves, an elasticated waist, and a matching tiara crown, in lightweight polyester velvet, sizes S to XXL. For a couple, our Mens Red King's Cloak puts your partner in matching red.

Women's Blue Renaissance Gown Costume

Our Women's Blue Renaissance Gown Costume is a floor-length blue velvet-style gown with gold embroidery across the bodice, gold-trimmed long sleeves, an elasticated waist, and a matching gold tiara crown, in lightweight, breathable polyester, sizes S to XXL. Our Black Velour Hooded Cape covers the cold walk in from the car park.

Women's Enchantress Mother Medieval Costume

Our Women's Enchantress Mother Medieval Costume is the dramatic seat at the table: a floor-length red velvet-look dress with flared sleeves and decorative trim, an ornate belt, and a long black curly wig, in 100% polyester, sizes S to XXL. Crowns are not in the pack, so our Gold Medieval Queen Crown makes her the second queen of the night.

Two weeks out: what comes in each pack, and what should you add?

Each adult pack below holds the main garment and sometimes trousers, a crown, a hat, a belt, or a wig, while boots, props, and jewellery are yours to add, so check two weeks before the banquet. Contents below come from each product page; our couples costumes hold more pairs.

On the night: how do you stay comfortable through a long banquet?

To stay comfortable through a banquet, dress for hours of sitting, eating, and toasting, not for the photo at the door. Warwick Castle's banquet runs to 11pm with a smart casual or medieval costume dress code, Coombe Abbey's banquet listing reads "Smart casual or mediaeval costume", and both are for over-18s.

• Sleeves: trumpet sleeves trail into gravy, so fold them back at the wrist while you eat and let them fall for the toasts.
• Cutlery: Historic Royal Palaces notes that at Henry VIII's court the King was the only person given a fork, and most people brought their own knives.
• Cloaks and capes: drape them over your chair or bench before the first course; a cape you sit on pulls at your shoulders all night.
• Crowns and hats: wear them for the toasts and rest them on the table between courses.
• Heat: halls warm up fast, so wear a thin base layer under velvet-look fabric, not a jumper.
• Shoes: floor-length hems and stone steps need flat shoes or boots, so try the gown on in them the week before.

The morning after, take off the crowns, belts, and wigs, then give the gowns and tunics a cold hand wash and an air dry away from radiators.

What can kids wear to a family banquet or castle day?

Kids can wear a young king's cape and crown, a princess gown, or a knight's tunic with a shield and sword to a family banquet or a castle day. About four in five of the medieval, Tudor, and Renaissance costumes ordered on morphsuits.co.uk between 23 April and 25 October 2026 were kids' costumes. The venue banquets above are over-18s only, so these get worn at home banquets and castle visits; English Heritage's events listings are the place to check for castle days. All of our kids' products are safety tested by accredited labs.

Boys Red Royal King Costume with Cloak

Our Boys Red Royal King Costume with Cloak has a red velvet-feel cape with faux ermine trim, a blue tunic top with gold-style accents, and a soft gold crown; trousers are not included, so pair it with your child's own. Sizes run Small (4 to 6 years), Medium (7 to 9), and Large (10 to 12). Our Adult King Crown and Royal Sceptre Set crowns a matching parent.

Girls Blue Renaissance Costume

Our Girls Blue Renaissance Costume is a royal blue velvet-style gown with ornate gold trim, puff sleeves with lace-trimmed cuffs, a full-length skirt with an elasticated waist, and a matching gold crown, with a centre-back hook and loop fastening for easy dressing, in sizes T2 (3 to 4 years) to L (10 to 12 years). Our King and Queen Crowns Set crowns the grown-ups at the same table.

Boys Medieval Knight Costume

Our Boys Medieval Knight Costume comes with a split red and blue tunic with lion crest artwork, a black belt with a decorative buckle, a matching shield, a toy sword, metallic-look arm cuffs, and a chainmail-inspired hood, in sizes from 3 to 4 years up to 10 to 12. Its lion crest echoes the men's Renaissance tunic for a parent-and-child pair; add our Kids Medieval Knight Helmet for a castle day.

For school history days, see our Victorian, Tudor, and evacuee costumes for school guide; our kids' historical costumes carry the rest of the range.

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