Queen Elizabeth's Wedding & Coronation outfits!

Written by 18 Comments


One fine day, I got a mail in my inbox inviting me to......... wait........ Buckingham Palace....... to have a look at the Queen's outfits!!!!! You know that flabbergasted, speechless moment??? Yup, this was 'that' moment!!! I had actually other plans that day and I had tickets booked to go elsewhere. But then, when its an invitation from Buckingham Palace - you just go!!!!!
The event was called 'Fashioning a Reign' and it showcased her outfits ever since her birth(!) to today!!! Before diving into each & every one of it, here is a post to the most special 2 outfits of hers that completely awestruck me - her wedding outfit & her coronation outfit. The detailing in these were so exceptional that I was so mesmerized and stood in from on them for so long before I was quite literally shooed away by the security gentlemen there!!!! So here's gonna be 2 posts - one on these and one on rest.
This is her Coronation outfit. This was designed by Norman Hartnell. Queen personally gave him, the concepts and ideas that she was expecting and after 9 sketches, they decided on this one. She didn't want a pristine white gown, but wanted multi colored detailing on it. The material is Duchesse Satin and embroidered with colored, gold & silver threads and embellished with pearls, sequins, diamante & bulge beads. The silk was from Lady Hart Dyke's silk farm of Lullington Castle and was woven by Warner & Sons in Essex. The embroidery was completely done here in Britain.
Her concept was to include something that represents all the Commonwealth nations. Commonwealth Nations are mostly the nations that was once ruled by British, so till date the Royalty of England is a considered the 'Head of Commonwealth' (however this title is only ceremonial). To denote the commonwealth countries on the gown, Norman Hartnell decided to depict the national flower of every country on the gown - the Tudor rose of England, the Scots thistle, the Welsh leek, Irish shamrock for Northern Ireland, the wattle of Australia, the maple leaf of Canada, the New Zealand fern, South Africa's protea, lotuses for India and Ceylon, and Pakistan's wheat, cotton, and jute. The coronation, same as all monarchs, happened in Westminster Abbey, on Jun 2, 1953.

 This is her Wedding Gown, again made by Norman Hartnell in 1947. This too was made of Duchesse Satin with Silk tulle and embroidered with seed pearls, crystal beads and silver thread. This was materialized in less than 3 months! With a simple cut of fitted bodice and flowncy floor length skirt, sweetheart neckline & drop V waist! Quite unusual for the era when wedding gowns were pristine white, she chose an ivory color, on top of which the pristine white pearls & silver threads stand out!! This material was from Wintherthur. The train is made of tulle and is 9 ft long and was attached at the shoulders! This was completely appliqued with white & ivory satin flowers & pearls. The shoes were also ivory satin from Edward Rayne!
Coming back on the next post on the rest of her outfits! Stay tuned...

 On the other hand, my last post was picked in the weekly picks of Independant Fashion Bloggers. Check out all the other picks here! Visit, comment & share some love.
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18 comments

  1. UnknownAugust 20, 2016 at 7:15 AM

    Absolutely lovely! I always had a thing for bridal gowns, call me crazy but eventhough I have been married for 4 years but I always love passing by bridal shops and trying the outfits. Brilliant design, brilliant color and everything about it is just so royal.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 21, 2016 at 9:15 AM

    Wow! What an honor to be invited by Buckingham Palace! The gowns are absolutely elegant and majestic! Nothing but the best for the Queen. =)

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  3. Fred SaidAugust 21, 2016 at 2:16 PM

    What an honor to be invited to Buckingham Palace. You have arrived as blogger, and we are honored to know a blogger recognized by British royalty. Your photos are very elegant. I do not know if I will ever see these for real, so thank you.

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  4. Debarpan MukherjeeAugust 21, 2016 at 2:20 PM

    The gowns look real awesome.Wonderful picture.Anyway it's undoubtedly a great honor to be invited by Buckingham Palace

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  5. The Graceful MistAugust 21, 2016 at 2:34 PM

    The coronation and wedding gowns are absolutely stunning. The details are truly amazing. I really like the first sketch. I hope to read more about this.

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  6. RochAugust 22, 2016 at 10:20 AM

    OMG those outfits are SOOOO beautiful! I love the intricate designs on those dresses. I can only wish that I can have them copied as an inspiration to the gowns for my prenuptial pictorial. :)

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  7. ashishAugust 22, 2016 at 12:19 PM

    I have been to Buckingham palace before and by jove isnt it spectacular. So are these dresses! Do a Kate Middleton collection if you get another opportunity! :)

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  8. UnknownAugust 22, 2016 at 2:06 PM

    Can't wait to check out the other outfits from this place. The design is so exquisite. Do you happen to know which year it's from? I see it's 1953, so does it mean the dress is more than 60 years old?

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  9. XonAugust 22, 2016 at 4:14 PM

    Like everyone else, I am curious about the royal family and although I am not always updated, I love watching the big events, from coronations to weddings! I think it's awesome that they decided to feature the Queen's wedding and coronation outfits! Both are lovely!

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  10. FrancAugust 22, 2016 at 8:58 PM

    The gown is really so beautiful and elegant. It really fits a queen and they did pay attention to every intricate detail in making this one.

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  11. April-Perez.comAugust 22, 2016 at 10:32 PM

    Those details! Oh gosh, such a lovely gown!

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  12. Mr PossibleAugust 23, 2016 at 12:06 AM

    Wow. What else do I need to describe this wonderful outfit. Thanks for sharing this, it is just awesome.

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  13. LeeAugust 23, 2016 at 3:37 AM

    That is a stunning wedding gown. The details are very veautiful. But it looks really heavy though

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  14. ShubAugust 23, 2016 at 8:04 AM

    This is truly royal stuff!! Such intricate detailing on the gown. beautiful!!

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  15. Fully HousewifedAugust 24, 2016 at 5:40 PM

    Wow, the embroidery is so exquisite and the gown so magnificent. I would love to wear that gown,too and be crowned - but you know, I'm only after the vanity of it, not the responsibility that comes with it, hehe.

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  16. Leke AwonugaAugust 26, 2016 at 1:14 AM

    Oh Lord, have mercy! You are made, Bhush! However the gown is distinctively unique. Speechless!!

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  17. Sunshine KellyAugust 31, 2016 at 11:38 PM

    Wow you are so fortunate to see it with your own eyes. I wish to visit the Buckingham Palace for this viewing too. Well done and i love the photos.

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  18. UnknownOctober 6, 2016 at 9:30 PM

    Gorgeous!! I heart the intricacy of dresses. Thanks for sharing

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