The quasi-medieval helmet echoed the ancient honour and its small size allowed her face to be seen. The Queen wore a block colour dress and coat for Prince Charles's investiture as Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle, 1 July 1969. Hartnell had omitted any reference to the Commonwealth and so the four UK flowers came to be garlanded with those of the Commonwealth, including the South African protea and the Australian wattle flower, in acknowledgment of their importance. On seeing the preparatory drawings for the gown by Norman Hartnell - who had consulted the Garter King of Arms on symbolism-the Queen made a politically crucial addendum. It was originally designed to be embroidered (in silk, silver and pearls) with the Tudor rose, the thistle, the leek and the shamrock, in honour of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. One of the first examples of the Queen's coded messaging was the robe she wore at the Coronation on 2 June 1953. The Coronation Dress, designed by Norman Hartnell and worn by the Queen as one of several layers of vestments during the service at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 Royal Collection Trust/All Rights Reserved The Coronation robe, 1953: an embroidered signal of the importance of the Commonwealth Angela Kelly, who coincidently has the same size 4 feet, would break in the royal shoes. It included such strictures as the size of a hat brim, limited so that the Queen could be seen by her people hems weighted to ensure propriety on windy days (her dressing department even included an electric fan used to test-run diaphanous fabrics) dresses rather than skirts so that no rearranging of garments was required as she stepped out of a vehicle zips rather than buttons to facilitate up to five changes of clothing a day washable, 15cm-long white or black cotton gloves from Cornelia James, and of great relevance, comfort-as a working woman, she was often on her feet all day. I sometimes discussed Amies's royal brief with him. He may not have been innovative-that was not his mission-but he was effective. Her team understood the rules of engagement.Īmies, a decorated Second World War intelligence officer who served with the Special Operations Executive (SOE) Belgian sector, drew upon military tailoring. The armoury of her soft power, the visual message communicated through dress, was translated and amplified by her chosen couturiers who were all British-in succession, Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, Ian Thomas and Stewart Parvin- and through her trusted dressers, the most recent, and of 25 years standing, being Angela Kelly. Having made a close study of the history of the constitution under her private tutor Henry Marten, Vice-Provost of Eton College, a constitutional scholar, the Queen was steeped in the art of monarchy. The construction of the Queen’s virtually unchanging image, a brand as distinctive as Coca-Cola, was the work of many minds and many hands. She deployed not only to connect with her people but also as a strategic weapon on the battleground of national and international diplomacy Elizabeth II’s banner has been block colour, and her blazons, whether as embroidered symbols or pinned brooches, delivered messages. Both Elizabeths, though born four centuries apart, set forth into battle, like medieval knights, under their own blazon, their coat of arms, their own dress code, instantly recognised in the field and from afar by their subjects. One only has to look at the 1600 “Rainbow” portrait of the all-seeing, all-hearing Virgin Queen-in the collection of Hatfield House-her mantle embroidered with ears and eyes, to appreciate this messaging at play. She also deployed it not only to connect with her people but also as a strategic weapon on the battleground of national and international diplomacy.ĭress is a serious business, something that Elizabeth II's predecessor Elizabeth l understood completely. She treated her clothing as a tool of work, ensuring comfort and appropriateness, and affording visibility, propriety and immutability. Over the past 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II’s wardrobe was concerned not with fashion, but with dress.
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