The Art of Play: Princess Margaret with a Doll, 1935

Princess Margaret
Marcus Adams, 1935
The Royal Collection

In December of 1935, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) took their daughters Princesses Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret to the Children’s Studio to be photographed by Marcus Adams. The Princesses wore matching silk dresses trimmed with small flowers and delicate frills.


The two princesses sat for portraits together, and individually. Each was photographed with a favorite toy. Elizabeth chose to be photographed with her cherished plush cat while Margaret chose to have her picture taken with this large doll.

Mastery of Design: A Gold and Baroque Pearl Bracelet, 1968

Bracelet
John Donald, 1968
Gold and Baroque Pearls
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When Princess Margaret wasn’t drinking or making people cry, she liked to shop for clothes and jewels. She had her favorite designers. Among her favorite jewelers was John Donald whom we’ve discussed previously regarding his Honeycomb Pendant. 

Donald John liked to play with natural shapes and create cutting-edge designs which were reminiscent of themes from everyday life. This bracelet of gold takes the form of a bird’s nest, set with baroque pearls of varying shades.

While this example from the V&A wasn’t made for Margaret Rose, she did have several bracelets by Donald and was a frequent visitor to his shop.

Painting of the Day: King George V with his Granddaughters, 1934-1935

King George V with His Granddaughters
Thomas Percy Earl, 1934-1935
The Royal Collection

King George V and Queen Mary loved, loved, loved their granddaughter Princess Elizabeth. Queen Mary often noted in her diary that she spent many happy hours with Princess Elizabeth. She never mentioned Margaret Rose. The king, too, adored his eldest granddaughter. And, he didn’t really like children too much. She called him, “Grandpa England,” and he often said that he hoped that nothing would come between “Bertie” (his son, the Duke of York) and “Lilibet” (his nickname for Bertie’s eldest daughter) and the throne. Not only was this a show of support for his second son and his granddaughter, but it was a clear statement that he didn’t think that his eldest boy, “David” would be a good king. “David” wasn’t a good king, and he wasn’t king long—thankfully. We all know about David’s abdication kerfuffle when, as King Edward VIII, he preferred Wallis Simpson over England.


After the abdication, Queen Mary was all the more involved with Elizabeth and often took comfort in the fact that her late husband adored the girl as well.

Before the King’s death in 193g, he sat for a portrait with the two young princesses. This painting by Thomas Percy Earl shows the King with his favorite horse and the two young girls on their ponies. They are guarded by a sturdy Scottie dog. This painting was created as a gift for Queen Mary. It was presented to Queen Mary by the wives and widows of members of the Jockey Club for the Silver Jubilee celebration on May 6, 1935.

Antique Image of the Day: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose on a Rocking Horse, 1932

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Photographer Frederick Thurston took this unguarded photo of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, astride their favorite rocking horse in 1932.

This portrait was taken long before the death of King George V and, certainly, long before the Duke of York imagined that he’d one day be King instead of his elder brother. The photo of the two Princesses was taken in the nursery at St Paul’s Walden Bury, the country home of the Bowes-Lyon family (the family of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) in Hertfordshire. The rocking horse had once been a play-thing of the Queen Mother when she was a girl. 

Drawing of the Day: Homage to the Queen, 1953

Homage to the Queen
Design for the Coronation Ballet
Oliver Messel, 1953
The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Homage to the Queen” was choreographed by Frederick Ashton as the Sadler's Wells Ballet tribute for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June, 1953. The production was performed at the Royal Opera House. We can tell from production notes which were made at the time that it appears that the production designer, Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, (1904 - 1978 ) conceived the ballet opening with an extravagant procession, incorporating both English folk and mythological figures which would close with an Apotheosis showing Elizabeth I as Queen of the Past, handing the Imperial orb to Elizabeth II as Queen of the Present. At the end of the opening, the image of the Queen would be left, as Messel put it, “surrounded with all the virtues and gifts.”

Messel, one of Britain’s leading theatrical designers of the 1930s through 1950s, envisioned this spectacle to be something like a 17th century Jacobean court masque in the manner of Inigo Jones and produced “lavish, fantastical designs” which managers of the ballet noted, “would have cost more than his sets and costumes for the main ballet.” Because of the potential expense, the stage procession of the homage was reduced to a simple entry for the queens of the four elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air - and their attendant. Messel still got his way—partially. After the ballet, an apotheosis is performed wherein the spirit of the first Elizabeth passes the orb to the second. Here we see one of the storyboard images which Messel produced for his original concept of the homage ballet. This image shows the lion and the unicorn of the Royal arms. The sketch shows the two figures, dancing, facing each other, and carrying flowers which were to be presented to the Queen.

Lord Snowdon, onetime husband of Princess Margaret, and Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatrical designs and other artifacts. According to the V&A, “The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.”

Unusual Artifacts: A Horsehair Hat by Simone Mirman, 1953

Hat
Simone Mirman, 1953
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Paris-born milliner Simone Mirman began her career working with fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in Paris before coming to London in 1947. Mirman took an unusual approach to her millinery practice, preferring to think of her hats as ‘objects d’art’ as opposed to utilitarian objects. Her business began slowly, but from her attic workshop she soon gained momentum and was able to open a couture millinery salon in London. Of her many famous clients, she was most popular with the Royal family—making unusual hats for Princess Margaret Rose from 1953 and, later, for the Queen and the Queen Mother from the 1960s onward.

This hat made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 shows Simone Mirman’s sense of play and artistry. Here, we see that she’s adorned this horsehair creation with diminutive rosebuds . Made in the “coolie-style,” this hat was meant to transition from summer to chillier seasons. Creations such as this brought a great deal of attention to Mirman, and her popularity soared during the 1953 coronation year when her work was considered the utmost of chic. 

Mastery of Design: A Gold and Baroque Pearl Bracelet, 1968

Bracelet
John Donald, 1968
Gold and Baroque Pearls
The Victoria & Albert Museum

When Princess Margaret wasn’t drinking or making people cry, she liked to shop for clothes and jewels. She had her favorite designers. Among her favorite jewelers was John Donald whom we’ve discussed previously regarding his Honeycomb Pendant. 

Donald John liked to play with natural shapes and create cutting-edge designs which were reminiscent of themes from everyday life. This bracelet of gold takes the form of a bird’s nest, set with baroque pearls of varying shades.

While this example from the V&A wasn’t made for Margaret Rose, she did have several bracelets by Donald and was a frequent visitor to his shop.

The Art of Play: A Jigsaw Puzzle, "His Majesty the King and TRH Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose," 1938

Puzzle by Chad Valley depicting
King George VI with Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth, 1938
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In the 1930s, as today, games were designed to suit the age and ability of children.  One of the most popular “games” was the traditional jigsaw puzzle. These color-printed cardboard puzzles often featured images of the Royal Family.  After the Abdication Kerfuffle ™, as King George VI ascended the throne, he was a figure to whom the children of Britain could relate since he was the father of two young girls—Princess Elizabeth (now Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose.  

This puzzle shows the continuing interest in the British Royal Family with a picture of King George VI (ruled 1936–52) and his two daughters riding ponies in Windsor Park in April of 1938.  The puzzle was made by the Chad Valley Company Limited.

The Art of Play: A Doll’s Fan with Blue Birds, 1938

Dolls Fan with Blue Birds
Duvelleroy, France, 1938
Painted by Marie Laurencin
Part of a suite presented to Princesses Elizabeth
and Margaret
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In 1938, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) took their first official State visit since the coronation in 1937 by visiting France. To commemorate their visit to Paris, a group of French couturiers and fashion designers banded together to create two magnificent dolls for Princesses Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose. The dolls, called France and Marianne, came with elaborate wardrobes complete with highly-detailed miniature accessories and jewels. Among the collection were four hand fans—two of silk and two of ostrich feathers. This is one of the silk fans.


This fan—as with the other three—still retains its original presentation box which is marked with the name of its maker—Duvelleroy. The fan was hand-painted by Marie Laurencin with a pattern of blue birds.

The princesses didn’t get to play with the dolls right away. They were put on display in St. James Palace and admission was charged to see them. Proceeds went to aid of The Princess Elizabeth of York Hospital for Children and a French charity. Today, France and Marianne are part of the permanent exhibit at Windsor Castle where they overlook Queen Mary’s dolls’ house.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Via the Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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Mastery of Design: The Honeycomb Brooch, 1969

Brooch-Pendant
Gold, Fire Opals, Diamonds
John Donald
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Though much quieter about it than her daughter, Princess Margaret (who, by all accounts, tended to be rather obnoxious about most things), but more out-going about it than her eldest daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, The Queen Mother was always interested in fashion and staying current.

Of course, she had her favorite designers. She even had her favorite jewelers and purchased a good many pieces of jewelry throughout her exceptionally long life. One of her favorite jewelry designers was John Donald.

Here’s an example of Donald’s work. Dating to 1969, this brooch-pendant of gold, diamonds and fire-opals depicts a bee on his honeycomb. This was made during a period when London jewelers were, in many ways, ahead of their time—experimenting with contemporary designs and materials and exploring new ways of interpreting natural elements. As shoppers began to embrace a variety of stones and shapes, Donald found himself eager to offer them unusual new designs.

John Donald's career soared in 1960, and in 1961, he presented his work at the International Exhibition of Modern Jewellery at Goldsmiths' Hall where he attracted the attention of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret Rose. 

Antique Image of the Day: Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, 20 December 1938

T.R.H. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose
Gilbert Adams, 1938
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Photographer Gilbert Adams (1906-96, the son of the famed photographer Marcus Adams) took this photograph of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, in 1938 on December 20. Adams processed a cellulose acetate film negative stuck onto glass plate to create the image. 

The photo-portrait was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The girls, photographed from behind, are pictured sitting at the piano in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace. The future Queen’s beloved dog, “Dookie” is by Margaret's feet.

Drawing of the Day: Homage to the Queen, 1953

Homage to the Queen
Design for the Coronation Ballet
Oliver Messel, 1953
The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Homage to the Queen” was choreographed by Frederick Ashton as the Sadler's Wells Ballet tribute for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June, 1953. The production was performed at the Royal Opera House. We can tell from production notes which were made at the time that it appears that the production designer, Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, (1904 - 1978 ) conceived the ballet opening with an extravagant procession, incorporating both English folk and mythological figures which would close with an Apotheosis showing Elizabeth I as Queen of the Past, handing the Imperial orb to Elizabeth II as Queen of the Present. At the end of the opening, the image of the Queen would be left, as Messel put it, “surrounded with all the virtues and gifts.”

Messel, one of Britain’s leading theatrical designers of the 1930s through 1950s, envisioned this spectacle to be something like a 17th century Jacobean court masque in the manner of Inigo Jones and produced “lavish, fantastical designs” which managers of the ballet noted, “would have cost more than his sets and costumes for the main ballet.” Because of the potential expense, the stage procession of the homage was reduced to a simple entry for the queens of the four elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air - and their attendant. Messel still got his way—partially. After the ballet, an apotheosis is performed wherein the spirit of the first Elizabeth passes the orb to the second. Here we see one of the storyboard images which Messel produced for his original concept of the homage ballet. This image shows the lion and the unicorn of the Royal arms. The sketch shows the two figures, dancing, facing each other, and carrying flowers which were to be presented to the Queen.

Lord Snowdon, onetime husband of Princess Margaret, and Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatrical designs and other artifacts. According to the V&A, “The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.”

Antique Image of the Day: Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose on a Rocking Horse, 1932

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Photographer Frederick Thurston took this unguarded photo of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, astride their favorite rocking horse in 1932.

This portrait was taken long before the death of King George V and, certainly, long before the Duke of York imagined that he’d one day be King instead of his elder brother. The photo of the two Princesses was taken in the nursery at St Paul’s Walden Bury, the country home of the Bowes-Lyon family (the family of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) in Hertfordshire. The rocking horse had once been a play-thing of the Queen Mother when she was a girl. 

Unusual Artifacts: A Horsehair Hat by Simone Mirman, 1953

Hat
Simone Mirman, 1953
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Paris-born milliner Simone Mirman began her career working with fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli in Paris before coming to London in 1947. Mirman took an unusual approach to her millinery practice, preferring to think of her hats as ‘objects d’art’ as opposed to utilitarian objects. Her business began slowly, but from her attic workshop she soon gained momentum and was able to open a couture millinery salon in London. Of her many famous clients, she was most popular with the Royal family—making unusual hats for Princess Margaret Rose from 1953 and, later, for the Queen and the Queen Mother from the 1960s onward.

This hat made for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 shows Simone Mirman’s sense of play and artistry. Here, we see that she’s adorned this horsehair creation with diminutive rosebuds . Made in the “coolie-style,” this hat was meant to transition from summer to chillier seasons. Creations such as this brought a great deal of attention to Mirman, and her popularity soared during the 1953 coronation year when her work was considered the utmost of chic. 

Antique Image of the Day: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and her Daughters, 1941

HM Queen Elizabeth with
Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose
Marcus Adams, 1941
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen ELizabeth II

In 1941, Marcus Adams enjoyed his last sitting with Princesses Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Margaret Rose. Adams, celebrated for his photographs of noble children, had a strict rule that he would never have a sitter (except for the child’s parents) over the age of sixteen. At this point, Princess Elizabeth was fourteen.


The two princesses are photographed here with their mother, Queen Elizabeth (later known as The Queen Mother). The affection the three share is readily evident. What I also find fascinating is that the current Queen, has not changed too much since her fourteenth year.

Painting of the Day: Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, 1938

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
1938-1945
The Royal Collection

This handsome portrait of Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) was painted between 1938 and 1945. It is the work of Sir Gerald Kelly who was initially commissioned to paint the state portraits of George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1938.
Kelly was nearly finished by the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The two paintings were relocated during the war from his studio in London to Windsor Castle where Kelly spent the next five years slowly completing his commission. Kelly remained at Windsor Castle during the war and was kept company by the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose who were sent to the safety of castle for the duration of the war while their parents remained at Buckingham Palace.

Here, we see Queen Elizabeth wearing her coronation robes and regalia. According the the curators of the Royal Collection, Kelly enjoyed his sittings with the Queen and said of her, “It is hard to suggest the admiration and affection which grew all around her. From wherever one looked at her, she looked nice: her face, her voice, her smile, her skin, her colouring - everything was right.”

The Art of Play: Princess Elizabeth's Doll's Fan, 1938

Doll's Fan
Duvelleroy, Paris, 1938
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In 1938, on the occasion of the State Visit to France by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), the children of France presented two dolls and an elaborate wardrobe and accessory suite (including a motor car) to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret Rose. This miniature fan made by Duvelleroy in Paris was part of the collection.

The most famous and celebrated couturiers and craftsmen in Paris at the time collaborated to create the two dolls’ trousseaux. The gift also serves as testament to the ingenuity and style of the French fashion world. This was one of four fans which were made for the dolls. The set also included to folding ostrich fans. All four original fan boxes survive in the Royal Collection.


The dolls and all of their little things were displayed at St. James Palace. The proceeds from the exhibition were donated to The Princess Elizabeth of York Hospital for Children and a French charity. The dolls and their trousseaux, today, remain on public view beside Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, at the entrance to the State Apartments in Windsor Castle.

Antique Image of the Day: Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, 20 December 1938

T.R.H. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose
Gilbert Adams, 1938
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Photographer Gilbert Adams (1906-96, the son of the famed photographer Marcus Adams) took this photograph of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, in 1938 on December 20. Adams processed a cellulose acetate film negative stuck onto glass plate to create the image. 

The photo-portrait was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. The girls, photographed from behind, are pictured sitting at the piano in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace. The future Queen’s beloved dog, “Dookie” is by Margaret's feet.

History's Runway: The Henry a la Pensée Belts, 1938

One of a Set of Belts Given to Princess Elizabeth from the Children of France
French, 1938
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This leather belt forms one of a pair which was a State Gifts to Princess Elizabeth (now, Queen Elizabeth II). A matching set was given to Princess Margaret Rose. The belts were from the Children of France and were presented to the princesses during a State Visit to France by their parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1938.

Of the pair, one belt is red and one blue. Both feature a scalloped edge and stitched buckle with attached metal emblems of a pig, a horseshoe, a mouse, a four leaf clover, a key and an elephant. They were designed by Henry a la Pensée.

Drawing of the Day: Homage to the Queen, 1953

Homage to the Queen
Design for the Coronation Ballet
Oliver Messel, 1953
The Victoria & Albert Museum

“Homage to the Queen” was choreographed by Frederick Ashton as the Sadler's Wells Ballet tribute for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June, 1953. The production was performed at the Royal Opera House. We can tell from production notes which were made at the time that it appears that the production designer, Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, (1904 - 1978 ) conceived the ballet opening with an extravagant procession, incorporating both English folk and mythological figures which would close with an Apotheosis showing Elizabeth I as Queen of the Past, handing the Imperial orb to Elizabeth II as Queen of the Present. At the end of the opening, the image of the Queen would be left, as Messel put it, “surrounded with all the virtues and gifts.”

Messel, one of Britain’s leading theatrical designers of the 1930s through 1950s, envisioned this spectacle to be something like a 17th century Jacobean court masque in the manner of Inigo Jones and produced “lavish, fantastical designs” which managers of the ballet noted, “would have cost more than his sets and costumes for the main ballet.” Because of the potential expense, the stage procession of the homage was reduced to a simple entry for the queens of the four elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air - and their attendant. Messel still got his way—partially. After the ballet, an apotheosis is performed wherein the spirit of the first Elizabeth passes the orb to the second. Here we see one of the storyboard images which Messel produced for his original concept of the homage ballet. This image shows the lion and the unicorn of the Royal arms. The sketch shows the two figures, dancing, facing each other, and carrying flowers which were to be presented to the Queen.

Lord Snowdon, onetime husband of Princess Margaret, and Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatrical designs and other artifacts. According to the V&A, “The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.”