Royal wedding souvenirs on sale as vintage bridal gown goes on display
OFFICIAL SOUVENIRS celebrating the wedding of the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, have gone on sale ahead of an exhibition of her vintage bridal gown.
A china tankard and pillbox, shortbread biscuits, strawberry truffles and a tea towel are among the items available. All are adorned with the image of a bee – a play on Beatrice’s name to her family and friends.
The Princess’s plans to marry the property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were thrown into disarray when the country went into coronavirus lockdown in March. The wedding had been due to take place in May in the Chapel
Royal, followed by a reception in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. It eventually went ahead privately on July 17 at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, in front of a handful of guests, including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Beatrice’s wedding gown, which goes on display at Windsor Castle today, was loaned by her grandmother and designed by Sir Norman Hartnell.
It was first worn by the Queen in the 1960s and is made of peau de soie taffeta, with geometric hand embroidery in crystals and diamantes over the bodice, waist and hips, while the skirt is trimmed with a band of ivory duchesse satin. It was altered for Beatrice by the Queen’s personal dresser Angela Kelly and the fashion designer Stewart Parvin.
The Queen first wore the taffeta gown for a state dinner at the British Embassy in Rome during a visit in 1961. She also wore it to the world premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in December 1962 and the State Opening of Parliamentin1966. It is not clear how Beat rice discovered the gown out of the thousands worn by the Queen but Carolinede Guitaut, curator of the exhibition, said: “She said it felt like the right one and she could envisage herself in it – so it stood out.”
Beatrice’s father, the Duke of York, walked her down the aisle but did not feature in the photographs released by Buckingham Palace. Andrew stepped down from public Royal life last November after a disastrous interview in which he failed to show remorse over his friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
She said it felt like the right one, and she could envisage herself in it... Caroline de Gui taut, exhibition curator, on how Princess Beatrice chose her wedding dress.