Several folks (including Dee, and Emily, and at least one other person whose email went missing during what I am fondly calling the Moving House Interregnum of 2006) kindly sent me links to this exhibit of Queen Elizabeth II's dresses. More than 80 dresses are on display, and a goodly number of those are featured on the exhibition's website, in that neato super-zoomo-vision where you can increase the magnification level until you can check the spin on individual electrons of the atoms of the fabric. (Click on the picture to visit the site.)
This dress is a 1957 Norman Hartnell; some of the other dresses are even more elaborate, and have not-so-subtly coded messages. They have symbols embroidered on them (I knew of the thistle-Scotland connection but not the daffodil-Wales one) or are color-coordinated with the flag of Ethiopia, or whatnot. Me, I just want to make sure my cardigan matches my skirt — Queen Elizabeth II has to make sure her dress matches AN ENTIRE COUNTRY. (Luckily, she has a large staff. And probably a stylist, although I'm sure they don't call the Queen's stylist a stylist. She's probably a lady in waiting to the chancellor of the wardrobe, or some such. And I'm doubly sure that person is not Rachel Zoe. Thank god. )
It's definitely worth checking out — the dresses are quite nice, and it's refreshing to see lovely gowns made for someone of a, let's say, MATURE age and size. And her mother-of-the-bride dress (not the Queen Mother of the Bride Dress, that was a different one) for Princess Margaret's wedding is a gorgeous color.
A Dress A Day 
If there is anyone out there who has any questions about QEII and her seeming “stiff upper lip” thing, these dresses should give you a very good idea. I’m going to hazard a guess that some of these babies, with all the embroidery, heavy fabrics, beading, etc. are going to run in the 20-30 pound range in terms of weight. I once had to do repairs on a dance costume being worn by someone portraying QEI which had all over embroidery and beading, was built for a woman who stood 5′ tall and weighed 90 pounds and THAT dress (without the big lace and beaded collar) weighed 40 pounds (we will NOT start asking ourselves about the poor guy who had to perform “The Spanish Panic” with this little girl wearing this dress, which meant that he had to be able to lift and swing approx. 130 pounds straight up in the air). So, poor Betty Windsor has to have a pretty well developed sense of duty to stand for hours on receiving lines with a weighty crown on her head, the sash with all the diamond medals, etc. on it and one of these dresses (not to mention also hauling around one of her always present purses). Stiff upper lip, indeed.
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You can see her hauling the skirts up stairs in some of those pictures – it looks like a workout. I have just spent about half an hour looking at all the dresses – I love the orange “Tour of the Middle East” one, from afar it looks like a muumuu but close up it feels like a really nice marriage of cultural appropriateness and Hello, I am the Queen of England.
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This is way cool. But she would not have been the mother-of-the-bride at Margaret’s wedding, as they were sisters.
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This is way cool. But she would not have been the mother-of-the-bride at Margaret’s wedding, as they were sisters.
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Sorry. Computer burp.
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Thank you, Erin. Good solid half-hour of fun! Some of those ’60s ones are truly gobsmackingly exquisite. My fave is the diagonally-beaded Kiri Te Kanawa sheath (yes, I am from New Zealand!).Didn’t the younger Queen have a lovely figure? What a shame all those gorgeous gowns had to be fatally over-accessorised with crown, earrings, necklaces, sash, medals, gloves, bracelets, cape/stole/coat . . . sigh.
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Thanks for the link. Gorgeous gowns. Made me a little melancholy as I watched the wasp-thin waist thicken, the strapless gowns grow straps, which in turn grew wider, eventually turning into sleeves, and then little boleros and jackets. We should all age so gracefully and well designed (*_*)
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It’s good to be the Queen. (Oh, c’mon, you know SOMEONE had to say it!)Love those emeralds!
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absolutely mind boggling.
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What lovely things to spend some of Saturday looking at. Some of that embroidery has to be gold bullion, which would be really heavy.During the time Mary Queen of Scots was held in captivity by Queen Elizabeth 1, at one point she was complaining of the absolute poverty of the conditions of her captivity she only had 3 embroiderers in her employ. This might be the only modern person who could need even one embroiderer.
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I would love to know the bust and waist measurements. Just for the sake of curiosity.Anon
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Where was the mother of the bride dress???? I dont think I saw that one. Some beautiful dresses tho.
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Great link, thankyou!
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You know, when I think of the Queen’s wardrobe, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t to-die-for gowns. What usually comes to mind are frumpy frocks and peacock hats. This collection is such a wonderful reminder that not all that long ago, Queen Elizabeth II was one gorgeously dressed woman!
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I went to see this exhibit and from what I could see over the heads of the 4,000 pensioners in front of me, some of the 50s dresses particularly were very beautiful. Annoyingly very little available in the way of books/cards though and I can’t work out how to print the zoomed shots from the website…I saw a job in the Royal Wardrobe advertised a while back – I posted about it here if you’re interested – certainly sounded intriguing!
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OMG is that gorgeous! I want, I want!
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I LOVE that site. Did you click through to look at the jewlery too? Super interesting.
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I literally “oooohed” when I opened this post. Then I read that the dress was made for the Queen of England and I understood why. Gidget took the words right out of my mouth… it’s good to be the Queen.
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Those are just gorgeous. Hard to believe!Re: printing zoomed picturesIf all else fails, hit the “Print Screen” button on your keyboard (next to F12). It literally takes a snapshot of everything on your monitor. Then paste into a graphics program or even PowerPoint. Then you can print or save.
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The Norman Hartnell is absolutely stunning, AND it looks like it’d fit me…I’m an opera singer, and therefore can always use a good gown. Hmmm. Guess it won’t come on eBay… 🙂
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It’s so beautiful I want to weep. I normally think of the queen as staid, bland.Um and…really no one should use Rachel Zoe.
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I zoomed and I zoomed, but still no spinning electrons. Otherwise the dresses are cool. 😉
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You rule! Gorgeous dresses and an electron spin joke. What could be better?
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The sad thing is that Princess Margaret was her sister, and only four years younger at that. Queen Elizabeth began dressing like the mother of the bride at far too young an age, thanks to being Queen.
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I managed to see the exhibition in London in September, and it was well worth the expense and queueing! There were about fifty bazillion people there (yes, lots of pensioners), and I spent about two hours in the one room going round and round looking at the dresses.They were even more stunning in person, and my only frustration were two women behind me who kept whining about Liz not wearing the dresses more than once! Come on! It’s HISTORY! (I *so* wanted to yell at them, but I held it in 😉
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htwolln: The Spanish Panic? Like from “Once Upon a Mattress”?(My favorite dress is the blue/grey/periwinkle w/the reddish flowers embroidered on it. Dreamy.)
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The Queen(also Princess Margaret) in fifties was so beautiful and wore realy elegant dresses.If is there any Elizabeth`s admirer,please,contact me:roman.benedik@siol.net
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