Princess Elizabeth’s Bridesmaid’s Dress – Christie’s
This is a sweet film about a dress, worn only twice, which embodies a time long past when the country needed a spectacle and a Royal Wedding provided it.
Benedict Winterwho is the Private and Iconic Collections Specialist at Christie’s auction house in London, explains what it is and why it matters, in this glimpse of history.
When the late Queen Elizabeth II married H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey in 1947, she had eight bridesmaids to accompany her down the aisle. Among them was Lady Elizabeth Longman, née Lambart (1924-2016), the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Cavan. This is her dress, now included in a Christie’s sale. She’s the second bridesmaid on the right.
The second time it was worn was for a photo shoot in 2012 with Lady Elizabeth and the model, Kate Moss. ‘It’s an incredibly poignant image, which shows the old world of aristocratic glamour and the new world of popular culture colliding,’ says Winter of the photograph, now released by the family to mark the sale of the dress.
The bridesmaids’ dresses were commissioned by H.M. Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) and designed by the celebrated British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, who also created the late Queen’s 1953 coronation gown. The naturalistic floral motifs, which echoed those on the royal bridal gown, were symbolic of rebirth in post-war Britain.
‘Sir Norman Hartnell’s designs in the inter-war period have come to epitomise the glamour and taste of the aristocracy at that time,’ says Winter, adding that ‘The dress is an incredible survivor and a remarkable piece of fashion history. It has been much loved, but the family feel it is now time for a wider audience to appreciate it.’
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