A wedding dress is more than a piece of clothing. It is the embodiment of hope, tradition and love. The Fries Museum is currently showing an exhibition about 250 years of Dutch wedding dresses. A good reason to take a closer look at some royal wedding dresses on this website. Today: a dress made of textile vouchers and a broken diadem.
On November 20, 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in London. Naturally, the bride had to come up with a special dress. But that didn’t happen without a fight…
First of all, there was the matter of ‘dust’. Normally the choice is great for a royal highness, but due to the just ended world war there was a shortage in 1947. So Elizabeth, like all other residents of the United Kingdom, had to shop with textile coupons. Small problem: the receipts did not cover the many meters of silk the princess needed. Various collection campaigns were set up by the people, but this turned out to be illegal according to the law. Ultimately, the British government resolved the issue by giving away 200 textile vouchers.
The choice fell on ivory-colored Chinese silk. This was a conscious choice. Silks from Japan and Italy were blacklisted because these countries were certainly not in the United Kingdom’s friendship book during and shortly after the Second World War.
The gown was designed by couturier Norman Hartnell, who submitted the final drawings three months before the wedding. While sketching, Hartnell had immersed himself in the world of art. There he came across the painting Primavera (The Resurrection) by Sandro Botticelli. He immediately saw the connection with current events. The United Kingdom was in ruins, but would grow and prosper again.
Motifs of jasmine, bindweed and blossom were converted into embroidery patterns so that the many craftsmen could get to work. Ears of wheat were also embroidered on the fabric: the symbol of fertility.
The dress with a sweetheart neckline and a fitted bodice had a train of 13 feet, which is about 4 meters. The manufacturing process took seven weeks and was carried out by approximately 350 craftsmen.
A missing bridal bouquet
It is not just the story of the fabric of Elizabeth’s wedding gown that is special. The bridal bouquet, which consisted of orchids and myrtle, reportedly disappeared sometime between arriving at the palace and the photo shoot. That is why they asked if the florist could make a new bouquet. A week later, photos were taken again, with the bridal bouquet.
Tiara in pieces
And then there was something else that went wrong. The tiara that Elizabeth received from her grandmother suddenly broke into two pieces on the morning of the wedding day. Stress all around, of course. Fortunately, a jeweler repaired the jewel in time.
Can’t get enough of (royal) wedding dresses? That works out well! The Fries Museum in Leeuwarden is currently showing an exhibition about 250 years of Dutch wedding dresses. In addition to Queen Máxima’s, you can also admire Princess Carolina’s dress. Yes, I want! runs until February 16, 2025.
Previously published in this series:
1. Soraya’s bizarre dress.
New series: the wonderful world of royal wedding dresses
(This blog was created in collaboration between Josine and Petra).
