Wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth
Encyclopedia
The wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth was worn by the future Queen Elizabeth II at her wedding to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh
on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey
. Given the rationing of clothing at the time, she still had to purchase the material using ration coupons. The dress was designed by Norman Hartnell
. Hartnell's signature was said to be embroidery, and he enjoyed "working with soft, floating fabrics, particularly tulle and chiffon, and with plain, lustrous silks". The dress was made of soft white satin, with a high neckline, tailored bodice and a short train.
The dress, without straps and with long sleeves, provided a "fit and flare silhouette".
’s c. 1482 painting of Primavera
, particularly the elaborate embroidery motifs of scattered flowers on the rich satin dress and the tulle veil worn by the royal bride. The material used was ivory silk and a diamond fringe tiara
secured her veil
. The dress was decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls, imported from United States of America. Norman Hartnell, who had been Court Designer since 1938 and who was the designer of the dress, claimed it as "the most beautiful dress I had so far made".
On account of the austerity measures following the war, Princess Elizabeth was given hundreds of clothing coupons by brides-to-be from all parts of the country, which helped her buy the material for the dress.
The designs for the dress were approved three months before the wedding. Hartnell's search for suitable designs in London art galleries had led to him to the Botticelli figure. This was the inspiration for the use of ivory silk with flower designs of jasmine
, smilax
, lilac and white rose
-like blossoms added to the train, embellished by white crystals and pearls. These motifs were transferred to drawings to enable embroidery experts to work on them. The silk cloth was chosen at the specific directive of her mother, the Queen, who desired an “unusually rich, lustrous stiff satin which was made at Lullington Castle". The silkworms to manufacture the silk were bought from Nationalist China and not the then enemy countries of Japan
and Italy
, which were termed as "enemy silkworms". Satin
was chosen for the train, and a more flexible material of the same tone as the train was chosen for the dress. However, in spite of the careful choice of the silk, the curator of the London Museum observed 30 years later when the dress was on display at the museum that “the choice of silk was not a good one” as the fabric had deteriorated. It was also noted that the "weight of the embroidery dragged the skirt down, increasing the strain on the weave.”
The design of the dress was kept secret, and the dress was taken to the palace a day before the wedding in a 4 feet (1.2 m) box. On the wedding day, the dress glittered, bejewelled with pearls “skilfully combined with flowing lines of wheat ears, the symbol of fertility, and worked in pearl and diamante.”
in 1956 and the "Westminster décor" wedding dress that Sarah Burton
at Alexander McQueen
designed for Catherine Middleton; particular points of similarity have been highlighted in the pleats and silhouette of the skirt.
Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh
The wedding of Princess Elizabeth , and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London.-Engagement:...
on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. Given the rationing of clothing at the time, she still had to purchase the material using ration coupons. The dress was designed by Norman Hartnell
Norman Hartnell
Sir Norman Bishop Hartnell, KCVO was a British fashion designer. Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to HM The Queen 1940, subsequently Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother...
. Hartnell's signature was said to be embroidery, and he enjoyed "working with soft, floating fabrics, particularly tulle and chiffon, and with plain, lustrous silks". The dress was made of soft white satin, with a high neckline, tailored bodice and a short train.
The dress, without straps and with long sleeves, provided a "fit and flare silhouette".
Design
The wedding was a royal event held following the end of the Second World War. The dress, designed by the Court Designer, had a star-patterned bridal train that was 13 feet (4 m) in length. The train, symbolic of rebirth and growth after the war, was stated to be inspired by BotticelliSandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
’s c. 1482 painting of Primavera
Primavera (painting)
Primavera, also known as Allegory of Spring, is a tempera panel painting by Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. Painted ca. 1482, the painting is described in Culture & Values as "[o]ne of the most popular paintings in Western art"...
, particularly the elaborate embroidery motifs of scattered flowers on the rich satin dress and the tulle veil worn by the royal bride. The material used was ivory silk and a diamond fringe tiara
Tiara
A tiara is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to.Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of...
secured her veil
Veil
A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...
. The dress was decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls, imported from United States of America. Norman Hartnell, who had been Court Designer since 1938 and who was the designer of the dress, claimed it as "the most beautiful dress I had so far made".
On account of the austerity measures following the war, Princess Elizabeth was given hundreds of clothing coupons by brides-to-be from all parts of the country, which helped her buy the material for the dress.
The designs for the dress were approved three months before the wedding. Hartnell's search for suitable designs in London art galleries had led to him to the Botticelli figure. This was the inspiration for the use of ivory silk with flower designs of jasmine
Jasmine
Jasminum , commonly known as jasmines, is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family . It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World...
, smilax
Smilax
Smilax is a genus of about 300-350 species, found in temperate zones, tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found , while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico...
, lilac and white rose
White Rose
The White Rose was a non-violent/intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich and their philosophy professor...
-like blossoms added to the train, embellished by white crystals and pearls. These motifs were transferred to drawings to enable embroidery experts to work on them. The silk cloth was chosen at the specific directive of her mother, the Queen, who desired an “unusually rich, lustrous stiff satin which was made at Lullington Castle". The silkworms to manufacture the silk were bought from Nationalist China and not the then enemy countries of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, which were termed as "enemy silkworms". Satin
Satin
Satin is a weave that typically has a glossy surface and a dull back. It is a warp-dominated weaving technique that forms a minimum number of interlacings in a fabric. If a fabric is formed with a satin weave using filament fibres such as silk, nylon, or polyester, the corresponding fabric is...
was chosen for the train, and a more flexible material of the same tone as the train was chosen for the dress. However, in spite of the careful choice of the silk, the curator of the London Museum observed 30 years later when the dress was on display at the museum that “the choice of silk was not a good one” as the fabric had deteriorated. It was also noted that the "weight of the embroidery dragged the skirt down, increasing the strain on the weave.”
The design of the dress was kept secret, and the dress was taken to the palace a day before the wedding in a 4 feet (1.2 m) box. On the wedding day, the dress glittered, bejewelled with pearls “skilfully combined with flowing lines of wheat ears, the symbol of fertility, and worked in pearl and diamante.”
Similarities
Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress has drawn parallels with both the similarly designed dress worn by Grace KellyGrace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
in 1956 and the "Westminster décor" wedding dress that Sarah Burton
Sarah Burton
Sarah Burton is an English fashion designer, currently creative director of fashion brand Alexander McQueen. She designed Catherine Middleton's wedding dress for her wedding to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge in April 2011....
at Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen
Lee Alexander McQueen, CBE was a British fashion designer and couturier best known for his in-depth knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, his tendency to juxtapose strength with fragility in his collections, as well as the emotional power and raw energy of his provocative fashion shows...
designed for Catherine Middleton; particular points of similarity have been highlighted in the pleats and silhouette of the skirt.