Wedding dress loaned to Princess Beatrice by The Queen to go on display at Windsor Castle
The wedding dress loaned by The Queen to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice earlier this year is going on display at Windsor Castle.
The dress, designed by the British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell, was first worn by The Queen in the 1960s and she gave permission for her granddaughter to wear it when she married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on July 17.
The wedding, which was held in secret at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate, was attended by The Queen and Prince Philip as well as the bride’s divorced parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
Beatrice worked with the Queen’s personal adviser and dresser Angela Kelly and the designer Stewart Parvin to alter the original design by Sir Norman Hartnell.
The original dress, made of ivory peau de soie taffeta, is an example of “Hartnell’s signature crinoline silhouette and love of embellishment” according to the Royal Collection Trust which is organising the public display.
The re-worked dress for Beatrice involved softening the full-skirted silhouette to give it a “contemporary, simplified shape” and sleeves were added to the straps and embroidered with vintage diamantés.
Sir Norman Hartnell first became couturier to The Queen’s mother in 1937 when she was the consort to King George VI.
The Queen first wore the dress in Rome in 1961 for a State dinner at the British Embassy. She was on a State Visit to Italy at the time.
She wore it again to the London premiere of the film Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 and for the State Opening of Parliament in 1966.
The Royal Collection trust says it will also display Princess Beatrice’s wedding shoes, made by Valentino and a replica of her bridal bouquet.
The bouquet contained trailing jasmine, pale pink and cream sweet peas, spray roses, as well as sprigs of myrtle in keeping with royal tradition.
The couple married at All Saints Chapel in Windsor Great Park after being forced to delay the ceremony from May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
They had intended to get married at St James Palace in London followed by a reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
The service was also deliberately low key because of the continuing controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s former friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Royal Collection Trust is a charity which is responsible for the care of the Royal art collection and the management of the official residences of The Queen, including Windsor Castle.
The dress will be on display for visitors to Windsor Castle from September 24 to November 22.