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Royal News

Bridesmaid’s dress from wedding of Queen Elizabeth II now part of historic collection

By
19th December 2024

One of the bridesmaid’s dresses from the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has become part of an important royal collection.

The gown, designed by Sir Norman Hartnell for the 1947 celebrations, now belongs to Historic Royal Palaces and now forms part of its Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.

The bridesmaid’s dress and coronet worn at the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II
(c) Historic Royal Palaces

The dress was worn by Lady Elizabeth Lambert, one of eight bridesmaids at the wedding which took place at Westminster Abbey.

The coronet that formed part of the bridesmaid’s outfit is also now part of the historic collection
(c) Historic Royal Palaces

It was put up for auction earlier this year and now belongs to Historic Royal Palaces where it will join over 10,000 other items of historic clothing dating from the 16th to the 21st centuries.

The dress is covered in exquisite embroidery
(c) Historic Royal Palaces

Sir Norman Hartnell took inspiration from Botticelli’s Primavera for the bridesmaid’s outfits. He also had to work under tight restrictions as he could only use material available under rationing for the post war outfits.

The dress is unwrapped from its tissue layers by a curator who will now begin conservation work
(c) Historic Royal Palaces

The gown and accessories will now undergo a period of assessment and conservation work to ensure its long term preservation and to get it ready to potentially go on show at a later date.

It was acquired at auction by Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity looking after some of the most famous royal homes and artefacts in the world. The purchase was completed with support from the Art Fund, the Arts Council of England/ V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the William Brake Foundation.

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About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.