Royalist fashion fans rejoice; for the first time ever, Buckingham Palace is exhibiting the incredible collection of outfits which Her Majesty The Queen and the royal family wore to the Coronation 60 years ago.
Centrepiece of the exhibition is undoubtedly the purple, silk-velvet 'Robe of Estate', made by Ede and Ravenscroft, which measures more than 6.5 metres and took members of the Royal School of Needlework some 3,500 hours (plus 18 different types of gold thread) to execute, along with the stunning Coronation Dress, designed by Norman Hartnell.
Open at Buckingham Palace until September 29th, the exhibition includes Hartnell's sketches and samples from the design process of this iconic garment, which featured embroidered national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold, silver and pastel-coloured silks, encrusted with pearls, crystals and sequins.
The exhibition also includes the outfits worn by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, The Duke of Edinburgh and the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne, as well as the Queen's incredible Diamond Diadem, the crown Her Majesty wore for the journey from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey which was made for George IV to wear at his coronation in 1821.
I visited the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace in 2011 for the exhibition of the Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, and as well as a stunning exhibition it's amazing to see inside this phenomenal building!
The Queen's Coronation 1953 runs at the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace from July 27 to September 29, 2013. Advance tickets and visitor information: www.royalcollection.org.uk or +44 (0)20 7766 7300.
Love Laurel x
