Coronation Dress of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain

State portrait of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the coronation dress and purple Robe of Estate (portrait by Sir Herbert James Gunn [1893-1964]; State portrait of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the coronation dress and purple Robe of Estate (portrait by Sir Herbert James Gunn [1893-1964]; RCIN 404386. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2014.

The coronation dress of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain (1953) was worn by the Queen at her coronation in Westminster Abbey, London. The garment was designed by the royal couturier Sir Norman Hartnell. The dress is made of white satin and embroidered with gold and silver thread and pastel-coloured silks. It is further decorated with seed pearls and crystals, which create a glittering lattice-work effect.

The embroidery was carried out at the Royal School of Needlework. The tiered design on the skirt incorporates the floral emblems of the United Kingdom (leek, rose, shamrock and thistle) and the Commonwealth. These emblems form a garland across the upper and middle ground of the skirt. The Queen wore this dress with the Robe of State when she entered the Abbey, underneath various other garments during the ceremony, and then with the Robe of Estate when she left the Abbey.

See also: British coronation garments.

Digital source of illustration (retrieved 26 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Monday, 24 April 2017 18:25
Published in Secular ceremonies and rituals
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