When Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey on 20th November 1947, she wore the most expensive royal wedding dress ever made. At the time, in the backdrop of post-war Britain, the gown cost £30,000 – the equivalent of £1.6 million today, eclipsing even Princess Diana’s 1981 25-foot-long Emanuel confection.
The ivory duchesse satin wedding dress was the work of go-to royal couturier Norman Hartnell. The design drew from Botticelli’s Primavera – a deliberate choice towards springtime renewal, a rebirth for post-war Britain. Garlands of wheat sheaves and York roses, in raised pearl and crystal, were dotted throughout the bodice and skirt. The 15-foot silk tulle train was embroidered with jasmine, lilac, and smilax; an orange-blossom appliqué bordered the hem.
Hartnell’s atelier worked for three months under conditions of such secrecy that the workroom windows were whitewashed and curtained, with a manager standing guard overnight. 350 seamstresses worked on the dress, including Betty Foster, who later recalled how every woman in the workroom – even the most junior apprentice – placed at least one stitch in the gown.
In this period of grim austerity, sourcing material was not straightforward – clothes rations were strictly limited. In response, the public rallied: hundreds of people sent their own coupons to Buckingham Palace in gestures of support – all were returned, as it would have been illegal to use them, though they were thanked by the princess. And the government, in turn, issued a further 200 coupons for the future Queen. But by and large, the gown was cobbled together from existing fabric, alongside supplements of silk, muslin, and brocade, gifted from across the empire, as well as 10,000 seed pearls imported from America.
The dress marked the start of a decades-long collaboration with the designer. Hartnell would design Elizabeth’s coronation gown in 1953, and in 2020, she loaned an ivory peau de soie taffeta evening gown to her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, who adapted it for her own wedding.
Now, Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress is on display as part of the largest-ever exhibition of the late monarch’s wardrobe at the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, marking what would have been her 100th birthday. Organised by the Royal Collection Trust, the show features 200 outfits, nearly half never before publicly shown.
The Trust’s textile conservator has said this may be one of the final opportunities to see the gown as it was originally worn. Don’t miss it.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style Exhibition, showing from 10 April – 18 Oct
Book here: www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/queen-elizabeth-ii-her-life-in-styl
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