Ranging from fancy to casual, Queen Elizabeth II donned many dresses through the years. However, according to an expert, one proved to be more “important” than the rest. No, it wasn’t the wedding dress she wore to marry Prince Philip in 1947 that had a six-figure price tag in today’s dollars. Instead, it was the dress Queen Elizabeth wore to her 1953 coronation.
Queen Elizabeth wore a ‘regal and magnificent’ dress to her 1953 coronation Queen Elizabeth II | Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
June 12, 1953, marked a major moment in royal fashion history. That day, Queen Elizabeth was officially crowned at Westminster Abbey. She turned to designer Sir Norman Hartnell for the occasion after wearing one of his designs on her wedding day six years earlier.
Queen Elizabeth paid for her wedding dress, per the royal family’s website, with clothing ration coupons. It cost a reported $42,000 at the time, the equivalent of about $1.6 million today.
Queen Elizabeth wore a ‘regal and magnificent’ dress to her 1953 coronation Queen Elizabeth II | Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
June 12, 1953, marked a major moment in royal fashion history. That day, Queen Elizabeth was officially crowned at Westminster Abbey. She turned to designer Sir Norman Hartnell for the occasion after wearing one of his designs on her wedding day six years earlier.
Queen Elizabeth paid for her wedding dress, per the royal family’s website, with clothing ration coupons. It cost a reported $42,000 at the time, the equivalent of about $1.6 million today.
- 5/5/2023
- by Mandi Kerr
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the 67 years that Queen Elizabeth II has occupied the throne, we've come to expect a few iconic pieces when it comes to her royal attire: a brightly colored coat, a matching hat, a giant brooch, and a pair of pristine gloves. We already know why the queen can often be found decked out in eye-catching shades of fuchsia, lemon, and royal blue for royal engagements, but why the gloves? The reason is actually simpler than you might think. Being queen involves a whole lot of hand shaking, which means exposure to a whole lot of germs. Hence, the gloves.
Just as the royal family often abstains from eating shellfish, gloves are just another way for Queen Elizabeth to keep herself less susceptible to illness, as the almost-93-year-old has no time to be sick. And thanks to royal glove manufacturer Cornelia James, the queen has kept a steady supply...
Just as the royal family often abstains from eating shellfish, gloves are just another way for Queen Elizabeth to keep herself less susceptible to illness, as the almost-93-year-old has no time to be sick. And thanks to royal glove manufacturer Cornelia James, the queen has kept a steady supply...
- 4/2/2019
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
For costume designer Mark Bridges, it’s always an adventure working with Paul Thomas Anderson. But “Phantom Thread,” their eighth collaboration, represented a meta challenge: It was a movie about his craft.
But Bridges admits that there’s a big difference between fashion and costume design. “I’m there to facilitate an actor’s performance and fulfill the vision of a director,” he said.
And in the case of “Phantom Thread,” about the world of London haute couture in the 1950s, it’s a movie about the fashion designer as auteur. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the eccentric and obsessive Reynolds Woodcock, whose world is turned upside down when he falls for Eastern European waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps). But imagine if “Rebecca’s” Joan Fontaine struck back at Laurence Olivier with sly subversion, exorcising his demons while bringing them closer together. That’s what Anderson did with his twisted and witty love story.
But Bridges admits that there’s a big difference between fashion and costume design. “I’m there to facilitate an actor’s performance and fulfill the vision of a director,” he said.
And in the case of “Phantom Thread,” about the world of London haute couture in the 1950s, it’s a movie about the fashion designer as auteur. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the eccentric and obsessive Reynolds Woodcock, whose world is turned upside down when he falls for Eastern European waitress Alma (Vicky Krieps). But imagine if “Rebecca’s” Joan Fontaine struck back at Laurence Olivier with sly subversion, exorcising his demons while bringing them closer together. That’s what Anderson did with his twisted and witty love story.
- 12/22/2017
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Daniel Day-Lewis already has five Oscar nominations for Best Actor under his belt, and he seems destined to land a sixth for his work in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread.” The actor stars as Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned London fashion designer in the 1950s, and the role has become highly publicized since it marks Day-Lewis’ final performance before retiring from the screen. Fortunately, it appears Day-Lewis is going out on a glorious high note.
Read More:‘Phantom Thread’ First Reactions Prove Paul Thomas Anderson Has Made One of the Best Films of 2017
In his A review of the drama, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn raves, “Anderson has crafted a memorable finale for his ‘There Will Be Blood’ collaborator in British dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock,” noting just how successfully Day-Lewis “rises to the challenge” of digging into his character’s “emotional immaturity.” Kohn is hardly alone in his praise for Day-Lewis.
Read More:‘Phantom Thread’ First Reactions Prove Paul Thomas Anderson Has Made One of the Best Films of 2017
In his A review of the drama, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn raves, “Anderson has crafted a memorable finale for his ‘There Will Be Blood’ collaborator in British dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock,” noting just how successfully Day-Lewis “rises to the challenge” of digging into his character’s “emotional immaturity.” Kohn is hardly alone in his praise for Day-Lewis.
- 12/7/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” is slowly rolling out to press and guild members ahead of its Christmas release. Following the drama’s first screening in Los Angeles on November 24, “Phantom Thread” arrived in New York City on Sunday, November 26, complete with a rare appearance from star Daniel Day-Lewis. The three-time Oscar winner joined Anderson and co-stars Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville to discuss his new movie, which his representative says marks his final film performance before retirement.
Read More:First ‘Phantom Thread’ Screening: Paul Thomas Anderson Had More Fittings Than Shooting Days, Lesley Manville Says
To the surprise of no one, Day-Lewis revealed he extensively researched numerous fashion designers to get into the character of Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker who designs gowns for high society women. Original rumors suggested Woodcock was based on designer Charles James, though the actor refuted the notion. “As fascinating as his life was,...
Read More:First ‘Phantom Thread’ Screening: Paul Thomas Anderson Had More Fittings Than Shooting Days, Lesley Manville Says
To the surprise of no one, Day-Lewis revealed he extensively researched numerous fashion designers to get into the character of Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker who designs gowns for high society women. Original rumors suggested Woodcock was based on designer Charles James, though the actor refuted the notion. “As fascinating as his life was,...
- 11/27/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Happy 70th wedding anniversary, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip!
The royal couple, who celebrates the milestone on Monday, wed in a stunning ceremony on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey – the same place where Prince William and the then Kate Middleton tied the knot in 2011.
And just like Will and Kate, a young, pretty Princess Elizabeth and a tall, handsome Prince Philip brought smiles and celebrations to the nation – something that was certainly needed in November 1947, just two years after the end of WWII.
At the time of their wedding, millions of Britons were living in the aftermath of the bomb-damaged cities and coping with food rations.
The royal couple, who celebrates the milestone on Monday, wed in a stunning ceremony on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey – the same place where Prince William and the then Kate Middleton tied the knot in 2011.
And just like Will and Kate, a young, pretty Princess Elizabeth and a tall, handsome Prince Philip brought smiles and celebrations to the nation – something that was certainly needed in November 1947, just two years after the end of WWII.
At the time of their wedding, millions of Britons were living in the aftermath of the bomb-damaged cities and coping with food rations.
- 11/20/2017
- by Simon Perry
- PEOPLE.com
Royally in love!
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are celebrating their milestone 70th wedding anniversary with a stunning new portrait.
The gorgeous photo, shot by British photographer Matt Holyoak, was taken in the White Drawing Room at their home of Windsor Castle in early November.
And the Queen, who looks lovely in a cream day dress by Angela Kelly, made sure to wear an accessory close to her heart: a brooch given to her by Philip. The “Scarab” brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, was a personal gift from Philip to the Queen in 1966.
Their long-lasting union isn...
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are celebrating their milestone 70th wedding anniversary with a stunning new portrait.
The gorgeous photo, shot by British photographer Matt Holyoak, was taken in the White Drawing Room at their home of Windsor Castle in early November.
And the Queen, who looks lovely in a cream day dress by Angela Kelly, made sure to wear an accessory close to her heart: a brooch given to her by Philip. The “Scarab” brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond, was a personal gift from Philip to the Queen in 1966.
Their long-lasting union isn...
- 11/18/2017
- by Erin Hill
- PEOPLE.com
God save the Queen! Those were the shouts heard from inside Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, when Queen Elizabeth II took the Coronation Oath and officially became the ruling monarch of the U.K and the Commonwealth.
Although Elizabeth ascended the throne as a young 25-year-old princess on February 6, 1952, immediately on hearing of the death of her father, King George VI, it wasn’t until 16 months later on June 2, 1953, that she was crowned, such was the extent of the planning needed. Her first years as Queen are featured in the first season of Netflix’s hit series, The Crown.
Read on...
Although Elizabeth ascended the throne as a young 25-year-old princess on February 6, 1952, immediately on hearing of the death of her father, King George VI, it wasn’t until 16 months later on June 2, 1953, that she was crowned, such was the extent of the planning needed. Her first years as Queen are featured in the first season of Netflix’s hit series, The Crown.
Read on...
- 6/2/2017
- by Monique Jessen
- PEOPLE.com
When Queen Elizabeth attended Ladies Day at the annual Royal Ascot races in June, all eyes were on her gold-and-blue hat - which, by coincidence, perfectly matched the colors worn by winning jockey Ryan Moore. "It was absolutely extraordinary," says Caroline de Guitaut, curator of Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from the Queen's Wardrobe. The hat, created by her dresser and frequent designer Angela Kelly, is center stage in the third and final portion of the exhibit, opening at Windsor Castle on Saturday. The Queen's iconic clothes and hats are also on display at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,...
- 9/16/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
Loyal to the talent in her country, Queen Elizabeth has only publicly worn British designers throughout her record-breaking reign. That is just one of many secrets unearthed as the Queen, 90, throws open her incredible closet in a ground-breaking exhibit at Buckingham Palace that opened on July 23. "She has been steadfast in her support of British design. That is quite something over such a period of time," curator of Fashioning a Reign, Caroline de Guitaut, tells People. "Her unswerving support of British design is very much a theme of the exhibition and giving visitors an understanding of what it takes to make couture clothing.
- 7/25/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
For Queen Elizabeth, the wedding of Prince William to the then-Kate Middleton was one of the happiest days of her life as a grandmother - and a fashion parade for royals and commoner friends alike. Now she is proudly showing off the primrose yellow dress she wore that momentous day on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey as part of a new summer exhibit at Buckingham Palace. The outfit, designed and created by an in-house team led by her assistant Angela Kelly, was a crepe-wool beaded dress and coat and a matching hat with handmade silk roses and apricot-colored leaves. It...
- 7/5/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
God save the Queen! Those were the shouts heard from inside Westminster Abbey on this day 63 years ago when Queen Elizabeth II took the Coronation Oath and officially became the ruling monarch of the U.K and the Commonwealth. The anniversary was observed in London Thursday as crowds gathered to watch a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed a Royal Salute in Hyde Park and Westminster Abbey rang their famous bells. Although Elizabeth ascended the throne as a young 25-year-old princess on February 6, 1952, immediately on hearing of the death of her father,...
- 6/2/2016
- by Monique Jessen, @moniquejessen
- PEOPLE.com
Two of the most significant dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth II are set to be shown together for the first time this summer. Elizabeth's wedding dress from 1947 and the gown from her Coronation from 1953 will serve as the centerpieces for the Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe installment at Buckingham Palace starting on July 23. Both gowns were designed by British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, who died in 1979. The exhibit will the largest display of the Queen's couture ever staged. And, according to the Royal Collection Trust, it also charts important moments in her "life and...
- 5/27/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
It's not often that the public are invited to step inside the closet of the most famous woman in the world. But that is exactly what will happen when Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen's Wardrobe opens its doors to the public on April 21 at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland - the first of three special exhibitions timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday. Announced back in October, the fashion exhibition will kick off at the Queen's Scottish residence before moving to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, with each venue reflecting a different aspect of the Queen's life.
- 4/9/2016
- by Monique Jessen, @moniquejessen
- PEOPLE.com
Several stunning dresses from Princess Diana's enviable high-fashion wardrobe are on display this week at her former home, Kensington Palace. Fashion Rules: Restyled, which highlights royal fashion through the decades, also features memorable pieces from the collections of Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Margaret. The new collection will open Feb. 11 in the public rooms of Kensington Palace, which is home to Prince William, wife Kate and Prince Harry. Diana lived there until her death in 1997. The exhibit features dresses worn by the late princess, including a few pieces from some of her favorite designers - Bruce Oldfield and Catherine Walker.
- 2/9/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
Royal couture fans are in for a treat! The largest collection of Queen Elizabeth's royal frocks are set to go on display as she celebrates her landmark 90th birthday. Marking her reign with linked exhibitions across three different royal venues, the Royal Collection is rolling out more than 150 dresses for viewing. Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style From The Queen's Wardrobe kicks off at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh - her Scottish royal residence - on the Queen's 90th birthday on April 21 and runs until October 26. It will highlight the use of tartan in royal dress. • Want to keep...
- 2/5/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
When it comes to royal dress code, Princess Diana was the queen of glamour. The late princess debuted many iconic looks through the years (who could forget that head-turning red Christian Lacroix dress?), and now some of her most famous looks will go on display next month in a new fashion exhibit at her former home, Kensington Palace. Fashion Rules: Restyled, which highlights royal fashion through the decades, also features memorable pieces from the collections of Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Margaret. • Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter.
- 1/14/2016
- by Simon Perry, @SPerryPeoplemag
- PEOPLE.com
It's a royal occasion! Happy birthday, Queen Elizabeth: The monarch turns 89 today, and to commemorate we've assembled—count 'em—89 of her best style moments to date. That includes not only her wide array of colorful skirt suits and coatdresses, but also her Norman Hartnell wedding gown (the couturier would go on to become Dressmaker to the Queen in 1957), her regal state dinner looks and the occasional pair of well-tailored trousers. While the Queen's birthday will certainly be recognized in England today, the streets of London are also buzzing over the imminent arrival of Kate Middleton and Prince William's second child. The duchess is expecting any day now, and we wouldn't be...
- 4/21/2015
- E! Online
Obsessed with royal fashion? On July 4, an exhibition will open, showcasing some of the most iconic dresses of the last century. The "Fashion Rules" exhibit presented by Kensington Palace includes gowns and outfits made famous by Queen Elizabeth II, the late Princess Margaret and Princess Diana - one of whose gowns is on loan from People. The princess's blue Jacques Azagury dress was bought for $26,450 at the Christie's of New York auction Diana held shortly before her tragic death in 1997.With its "big shoulders, spangles and over-sized bow," as show curator Cassie Davies-Strodder described it, the dress is very much a of the '80s.
- 6/28/2013
- by Simon Perry
- PEOPLE.com
Student revue group helped launch careers of Peter Cook, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson
Considering how successful Cambridge has been as a theatrical training ground for writers and performers, outsiders may be surprised to find that the university has no drama school.
The whole thing, Marlowe Society and Adc (Amateur Dramatic Club) presenting the classics, and Footlights tickling the comic muse, is kept going by the initiative of generation after generation of undergraduates. There are of course senior members of the university to advise and guide, but the various clubs lurch from flop to triumph with only ticket sales and members' enthusiasm and talent to sustain them.
Next week Cambridge celebrates the centenary of the Footlights, which came into existence on June 9, 1883. The Footlights has certainly lived off its wits. And what wits they have been. Skimming through Robert Hewison's centennial history of the club, the eye catches names like Ian Hay,...
Considering how successful Cambridge has been as a theatrical training ground for writers and performers, outsiders may be surprised to find that the university has no drama school.
The whole thing, Marlowe Society and Adc (Amateur Dramatic Club) presenting the classics, and Footlights tickling the comic muse, is kept going by the initiative of generation after generation of undergraduates. There are of course senior members of the university to advise and guide, but the various clubs lurch from flop to triumph with only ticket sales and members' enthusiasm and talent to sustain them.
Next week Cambridge celebrates the centenary of the Footlights, which came into existence on June 9, 1883. The Footlights has certainly lived off its wits. And what wits they have been. Skimming through Robert Hewison's centennial history of the club, the eye catches names like Ian Hay,...
- 6/3/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
A new exhibition is to show how Queen Elizabeth transformed British fashion. The 'Hartnell to Amies: Couture by Royal Appointment' show will showcase designs by royal couturiers Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies and the effect the monarch's outfits at historic events has shaped the style landscape. Over 150 garments, including ballgowns, cocktail dresses and ready-to-wear designs worn by British high society - often taking its lead from the monarch - will go on display in the exhibition at London's Fashion and Textile Museum. Hartnell - who opened his first haute couture boutique in Mayfair, London, in 1923 - attracted many fans after his creations became popular with Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother and her daughters, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. He...
- 10/29/2012
- Monsters and Critics
New York — A new exhibition is hailing the fashion sense of Katharine Hepburn, whose trademark khakis and open-collar shirts were decidedly unconventional in the 1930s and 40s, when girdles and stockings were the order of the day.
The fiercely independent Hepburn famously once said: "Anytime I hear a man say he prefers a woman in a skirt, I say, `Try one. Try a skirt.'"
But skirts and dresses abound in "Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen" at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which opens Thursday.
Hepburn, who died in 2003 at age 96, saved almost all the costumes from her long career that included four Oscars and such memorable films as "The Philadelphia Story," "The African Queen," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "On Golden Pond." Forty are on view at the exhibition, which runs through Jan. 12.
One of the first things visitors will notice is...
The fiercely independent Hepburn famously once said: "Anytime I hear a man say he prefers a woman in a skirt, I say, `Try one. Try a skirt.'"
But skirts and dresses abound in "Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen" at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which opens Thursday.
Hepburn, who died in 2003 at age 96, saved almost all the costumes from her long career that included four Oscars and such memorable films as "The Philadelphia Story," "The African Queen," "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "On Golden Pond." Forty are on view at the exhibition, which runs through Jan. 12.
One of the first things visitors will notice is...
- 10/18/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
(1934-40, E, BFI)
A pupil at Cambridge of the great critic I A Richards, Humphrey Jennings (1907-50) was a surrealist painter, a poet and a documentary moviemaker. He died in a freak accident while scouting locations in Greece, and in 1954 he was famously called "the only real poet the British cinema has yet produced" by his admirer Lindsay Anderson. His great period was the second world war when he directed Listen to Britain, Fires Were Started and A Diary for Timothy. This first volume of an invaluable three-volume edition of his work covers his career from joining the Gpo film unit up to his first four wartime movies, culminating in the influential classic on the 1940 blitz, London Can Take It!, co-directed by Harry Watt and narrated by the American journalist Quentin Reynolds. Most of the prewar films are fairly impersonal but all are of interest, most especially perhaps a colour film on his Cambridge contemporary,...
A pupil at Cambridge of the great critic I A Richards, Humphrey Jennings (1907-50) was a surrealist painter, a poet and a documentary moviemaker. He died in a freak accident while scouting locations in Greece, and in 1954 he was famously called "the only real poet the British cinema has yet produced" by his admirer Lindsay Anderson. His great period was the second world war when he directed Listen to Britain, Fires Were Started and A Diary for Timothy. This first volume of an invaluable three-volume edition of his work covers his career from joining the Gpo film unit up to his first four wartime movies, culminating in the influential classic on the 1940 blitz, London Can Take It!, co-directed by Harry Watt and narrated by the American journalist Quentin Reynolds. Most of the prewar films are fairly impersonal but all are of interest, most especially perhaps a colour film on his Cambridge contemporary,...
- 10/8/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
The couple's engagement makes us look back at Charles and Diana's wedding and others.
By Jocelyn Vena
Kate Middleton and Prince William
Photo: Ben Stansall/ Getty Images
It's no wonder the world is excited to learn that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged to be married in 2011. The closest thing we've had to a major royal wedding in recent years was when Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky got married in August. In case William and Kate forgot how these things are supposed to go down, MTV News decided to give a little refresher on the biggest royal nuptials of the modern era.
Though they didn't live happily ever after, Princess Diana and Prince Charles really set the bar high when they married in July 1981, 30 years before their son is set to walk down the aisle. The wedding became a global event with upward of 750 million people watching on TV...
By Jocelyn Vena
Kate Middleton and Prince William
Photo: Ben Stansall/ Getty Images
It's no wonder the world is excited to learn that Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged to be married in 2011. The closest thing we've had to a major royal wedding in recent years was when Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky got married in August. In case William and Kate forgot how these things are supposed to go down, MTV News decided to give a little refresher on the biggest royal nuptials of the modern era.
Though they didn't live happily ever after, Princess Diana and Prince Charles really set the bar high when they married in July 1981, 30 years before their son is set to walk down the aisle. The wedding became a global event with upward of 750 million people watching on TV...
- 11/16/2010
- MTV Music News
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