Fashion Sense: The Lady Alexandra Gown, 1948

The Victoria & Albert Museum

As you decide what to wear on Thursday for Thanksgiving with friends and family, well, this won’t be among your choices. But, ladies, don’t you wish it could be? Here, we see an evening dress in cream slipper satin with a close fitting bodice, and a high round neck adorned with amber and silver sequins and glass bead embroidery around the neck and down the center of the bodice. Smaller matching designs flank the center panel. A train at the rear is looped up to form a triple fan-shaped bustle at the back waistline. The long, tight-fitting sleeves are held close to the arm with three darts at the elbow and close with a zipper at the wrist.


This gown was made in 1948 for Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (1907-97) who was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris at the end of the 1940s. Due to her husband’s position, Lady Alexandra was required to attend a vast number of formal events and, therefore, needed an extensive wardrobe. Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the house of Jacques Fath (1912-54).

Fath was known to lend evening and day dresses each season to Lady Alexandra, knowing that he would receive a lot of publicity from Alexandra’s appearances. Lady Alexandra recalled “If there was a dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.”

This particular gown was designed by Fath for Lady Alexandra to wear for the official visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to Paris in May 1948. Lady Alexandra later recalled that when she and her husband made their enterance at the Théâtre de l’Opéra, the Garde Nationale suddenly sprang to attention. She said, “I realised they had mistaken us for the Princess and Duke. That was the effect made by my splendid Fath.”

Not bad.

History's Runway: Lady Gladwyn's 1957 State Visit Gown

Gown by Pierre Balmain
French, 1957
The Cecil Beaton Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Lady Gladwyn’s name is synonymous with “high fashion.” She was the wife of the British Ambassador to Paris from 1954 to 1960. Lady Gladwyn famously hosted the state visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the French Embassy on Tuesday April 9, 1957, at which this dress was worn.

This floral masterpiece was designed by Parisian couturier Pierre Balmain (1914-82), and showcases, on the bodice, the appliqué technique which was characteristic of his work. The full-length evening dress of cream warp printed silk is emblazoned with an oversized pink rose pattern. The strapless, boned bodice, scalloped at the waist, is trimmed with appliqué roses below the bust line and to the waist.

Lady Gladwyn wrote in her diary that night:

The supper was, I think, just right for the occasion: cold salmon, chaudfroid of chicken, a salad, oranges and lemons filled with sorbet, and a wonderful Bollinger... The difficulty was to get rid of all the guests. They lingered on, and at half past one in the morning Cecil Beaton was still sketching Diana Cooper in the Ionian Room.

Speaking of Cecil Beaton, the celebrated society photographer and bon vivant collected several of the dresses worn during this state visit so that he could donate them to the V&A. Among the gowns which Beaton managed to add to his collection from this 1957 state visit are the Queen's embroidered ivory gown by Norman Hartnell (1901-79), Lady Gladwyn's lilac lace gown by Jacques Fath, and Baroness Alain de Rothschild's spotted tulle gown by Christian Dior (1905-57).

Gifts of Grandeur: The Boucheron Bracelet from Prince Philip to Queen Elizabeth II, 1952

The Boucheron Bracelet
Boucheron, London, 1952
Designed by the Duke of Edinburgh
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In keeping with the precedent set by Prince Albert who frequently designed gifts of jewelry for his beloved wife, Queen Victoria, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has also designed magnificent jewels for Queen Elizabeth II.  For their fifth wedding anniversary, Prince Philip envisioned this magnificent bracelet of gold, platinum, sapphires, diamonds and rubies which takes the form of a repeating pattern of their initials “E” and “P”.  The bracelet also features two jeweled roses and Prince Philip’s own naval badge. This magnificent piece was expertly crafted by the jewelers of London’s famed Boucheron. 

Antique Image of the Day: The Engagement Photo of TRH Queen Elizabeth II and the of Edinburgh, 1947

Engagement of Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth
to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
July 10, 1947
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Taken on July 10, 1947, by a now unknown photographer, this is one of the official engagement photos from the announcement of the impending marriage of then-Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Buckingham Palace.

On the day that the engagement of the future Queen Elizabeth II and future Duke of Edinburgh was announced, the Royal Family invited press photographers to Buckingham Palace to take photos of the couple. As is the custom, the bride-to-be clasped her hands in such a manner as to modestly display the engagement ring which Prince Philip had given her. The ring was made by the jewelers of Philip Antrobus Ltd,, and was created from diamonds which were taken from a tiara belonging to Prince Philip’s mother.

Just for fun, here's a picture of Her Majesty's ring.

Click on image to enlarge

The Engagement Ring of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The platinum ring is set with a three carat solitaire flanked on each side
by five smaller brilliant-cuts.
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

History's Runway: Lady Gladwyn's 1957 State Visit Gown

Gown by Pierre Balmain
French, 1957
The Cecil Beaton Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Lady Gladwyn’s name is synonymous with “high fashion.” She was the wife of the British Ambassador to Paris from 1954 to 1960. Lady Gladwyn famously hosted the state visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the French Embassy on Tuesday April 9, 1957, at which this dress was worn.

This floral masterpiece was designed by Parisian couturier Pierre Balmain (1914-82), and showcases, on the bodice, the appliqué technique which was characteristic of his work. The full-length evening dress of cream warp printed silk is emblazoned with an oversized pink rose pattern. The strapless, boned bodice, scalloped at the waist, is trimmed with appliqué roses below the bust line and to the waist.

Lady Gladwyn wrote in her diary that night:

The supper was, I think, just right for the occasion: cold salmon, chaudfroid of chicken, a salad, oranges and lemons filled with sorbet, and a wonderful Bollinger... The difficulty was to get rid of all the guests. They lingered on, and at half past one in the morning Cecil Beaton was still sketching Diana Cooper in the Ionian Room.

Speaking of Cecil Beaton, the celebrated society photographer and bon vivant collected several of the dresses worn during this state visit so that he could donate them to the V&A. Among the gowns which Beaton managed to add to his collection from this 1957 state visit are the Queen's embroidered ivory gown by Norman Hartnell (1901-79), Lady Gladwyn's lilac lace gown by Jacques Fath, and Baroness Alain de Rothschild's spotted tulle gown by Christian Dior (1905-57).

Unfolding Pictures: The Marriage Fan, 1760

The Marriage Fan
French, 1760
Presented to Queen Elizabeth II, 1947
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This antique French fan with pierced mother-of-pearl sticks and guards was a gift to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) on the day of her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip. Traditionally, those firms employed by the Royal Family make gifts of objects which represent their trade on the occasion of weddings. The Royal fan-makers of Duvelleroy presented this fan to the Queen to add to her collection of similar antique fans (most of which had been assembled by her grandmother Queen Mary).


The fan’s painted leaf depicts a scene of an Eighteenth Century French wedding. As was the tradition of the time, the wedding guests are shown wearing red flowers and crimson party favors—typical symbols of marriage.

History's Runway: The Lady Alexandra Gown, 1948

The Victoria & Albert Museum

As you decide what to wear this holiday season with friends and family, well, this won’t be among your choices. But, ladies, don’t you wish it could be? Here, we see an evening dress in cream slipper satin with a close fitting bodice, and a high round neck adorned with amber and silver sequins and glass bead embroidery around the neck and down the center of the bodice. Smaller matching designs flank the center panel. A train at the rear is looped up to form a triple fan-shaped bustle at the back waistline. The long, tight-fitting sleeves are held close to the arm with three darts at the elbow and close with a zipper at the wrist.


This gown was made in 1948 for Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (1907-97) who was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris at the end of the 1940s. Due to her husband’s position, Lady Alexandra was required to attend a vast number of formal events and, therefore, needed an extensive wardrobe. Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the house of Jacques Fath (1912-54).

Fath was known to lend evening and day dresses each season to Lady Alexandra, knowing that he would receive a lot of publicity from Alexandra’s appearances. Lady Alexandra recalled “If there was a dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.”

This particular gown was designed by Fath for Lady Alexandra to wear for the official visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to Paris in May 1948. Lady Alexandra later recalled that when she and her husband made their enterance at the Théâtre de l’Opéra, the Garde Nationale suddenly sprang to attention. She said, “I realised they had mistaken us for the Princess and Duke. That was the effect made by my splendid Fath.”

Not bad.

Antique Image of the Day: The Engagement Photo of TRH Queen Elizabeth II and the of Edinburgh, 1947

Engagement of Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth
to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
July 10, 1947
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Taken on July 10, 1947, by a now unknown photographer, this is one of the official engagement photos from the announcement of the impending marriage of then-Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Buckingham Palace.

On the day that the engagement of the future Queen Elizabeth II and future Duke of Edinburgh was announced, the Royal Family invited press photographers to Buckingham Palace to take photos of the couple. As is the custom, the bride-to-be clasped her hands in such a manner as to modestly display the engagement ring which Prince Philip had given her. The ring was made by the jewelers of Philip Antrobus Ltd,, and was created from diamonds which were taken from a tiara belonging to Prince Philip’s mother.

Just for fun, here's a picture of Her Majesty's ring.

Click on image to enlarge

The Engagement Ring of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The platinum ring is set with a three carat solitaire flanked on each side
by five smaller brilliant-cuts.
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Object of the Day: A Postcard from Balmoral Castle

Click image to enlarge.

This handsome photo postcard shows the stately front façade of the “new” castle at Balmoral. The private Scottish home of the Royal Family, Prince Albert commissioned this new castle to replace the previous home on the Aberdeenshire estate. The original castle was too small to suit the needs of the growing family of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort.

Balmoral remains a favorite retreat for the Royals. Queen Elizabeth II, like her Great Great Grandmother, Victoria, is known to love the seclusion and natural beauty of the estate while Prince Philip relishes the wide open spaces and chances for sport shooting. 

This postcard dates to the present reign, likely between 1953 and 1960. While the reverse is eager to tell the buyer that the image is a “real photo,” the publisher wasn’t too keen on being identified and made no attempt to list their name. Nevertheless, it now seems quite content with its existence amongst all of my other Royalty-related ephemera.

History's Runway: Lady Gladwyn's 1957 State Visit Gown

Gown by Pierre Balmain
French, 1957
The Cecil Beaton Collection at
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Lady Gladwyn’s name is synonymous with “high fashion.” She was the wife of the British Ambassador to Paris from 1954 to 1960. Lady Gladwyn famously hosted the state visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at the French Embassy on Tuesday April 9, 1957, at which this dress was worn.

This floral masterpiece was designed by Parisian couturier Pierre Balmain (1914-82), and showcases, on the bodice, the appliqué technique which was characteristic of his work. The full-length evening dress of cream warp printed silk is emblazoned with an oversized pink rose pattern. The strapless, boned bodice, scalloped at the waist, is trimmed with appliqué roses below the bust line and to the waist.

Lady Gladwyn wrote in her diary that night:

The supper was, I think, just right for the occasion: cold salmon, chaudfroid of chicken, a salad, oranges and lemons filled with sorbet, and a wonderful Bollinger... The difficulty was to get rid of all the guests. They lingered on, and at half past one in the morning Cecil Beaton was still sketching Diana Cooper in the Ionian Room.

Speaking of Cecil Beaton, the celebrated society photographer and bon vivant collected several of the dresses worn during this state visit so that he could donate them to the V&A. Among the gowns which Beaton managed to add to his collection from this 1957 state visit are the Queen's embroidered ivory gown by Norman Hartnell (1901-79), Lady Gladwyn's lilac lace gown by Jacques Fath, and Baroness Alain de Rothschild's spotted tulle gown by Christian Dior (1905-57).

Object of the Day: Her Majesty the Queen, a Book for Children, c. 1983

I recently found this attractive little book in an antique shop. To begin with, this book, like many British books printed in the Twentieth Century or before does not have a date of publication with the copyright information. I can deduce that it was printed after 1983 since it contains images of Princess Diana holding an infant Prince William.

This miniature book was printed for children by Ladybird Books, Ltd. Of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. Small in size with large type, it is clearly intended for readers about age 8-10. The text chronicles the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and is filled with many, color images of Her Majesty and the Royal Family. 

The book begins with a touching quotation from Jim Corbett who had accompanied then-Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip on a trip to Africa in 1952. The princess had embarked on the journey knowing that her father, King George VI, was ill. His Majesty insisted that his eldest daughter, and heir to the throne, continue with the state visit despite his illness. During the journey, the princess and her husband were entertained in a log hut which was built in the uppermost branches of a tree. It was here that Princess Elizabeth learned of the death of her father. Corbett wrote in his journal:

“For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into a tree one day a Princess…and climbed down from the tree the next day a Queen – God bless her.”

Starting with those words, young readers were taught about the life of the Monarch. Concise text and interesting photos led the reader through the interesting experiences of one of the world’s longest reigning sovereigns. Let’s take a look inside. 

History's Runway: The Lady Alexandra Gown, 1948

The Victoria & Albert Museum

As you decide what to wear on Thursday for Thanksgiving with friends and family, well, this won’t be among your choices. But, ladies, don’t you wish it could be? Here, we see an evening dress in cream slipper satin with a close fitting bodice, and a high round neck adorned with amber and silver sequins and glass bead embroidery around the neck and down the center of the bodice. Smaller matching designs flank the center panel. A train at the rear is looped up to form a triple fan-shaped bustle at the back waistline. The long, tight-fitting sleeves are held close to the arm with three darts at the elbow and close with a zipper at the wrist.


This gown was made in 1948 for Lady Alexandra Howard-Johnston (1907-97) who was the wife of the Naval Attaché to Paris at the end of the 1940s. Due to her husband’s position, Lady Alexandra was required to attend a vast number of formal events and, therefore, needed an extensive wardrobe. Lady Alexandra dressed exclusively at the house of Jacques Fath (1912-54).

Fath was known to lend evening and day dresses each season to Lady Alexandra, knowing that he would receive a lot of publicity from Alexandra’s appearances. Lady Alexandra recalled “If there was a dress I wanted to keep, I could pay sale price at the end of the season. I was not allowed to go to any other couturier, but I did not want to – Fath was perfection.”

This particular gown was designed by Fath for Lady Alexandra to wear for the official visit of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip to Paris in May 1948. Lady Alexandra later recalled that when she and her husband made their enterance at the Théâtre de l’Opéra, the Garde Nationale suddenly sprang to attention. She said, “I realised they had mistaken us for the Princess and Duke. That was the effect made by my splendid Fath.”

Not bad.

 

Obscure Book of the Day: His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales

“His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales: The Origins of His Ancient Titles and the Ceremonial of Investiture” is another book by the Pitkin Publishing Company which was produced as part of their mid-Twentieth Century “Pride of Britain” series. The book chronicles the early life of a young Prince Charles—the first son of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh--and shows you images from his early days before his mother ascended the throne and after.


The book was published between 1957 and 1958 and not only tells us about Prince Charles, but also the history of the title of “Prince of Wales” and the traditions associated with the style. In fact, the back cover of the book shows a family tree of the “House of Windsor” and shows how Charles fits into the history of the Royal Family.

Aside from official portraits, we are treated to candid images of the young prince with his grandmother, the Queen Mother and his parents as well as his sister and aunt, Princess Margaret. Baby pictures and images of the Prince at play give us glimpses of the man that we know as the heir to the throne and father of Princes William and Harry.

Let’s take a look inside:

Then-Princess Elizabeth admires her firstborn son.

You can see the face of the adult Prince in this early photo.

This letter from 1948 reads:
"The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, was safely delivered of a Prince at nine fourteen PM today.  Her Royal Highness and son are both doing fine." 

Charles and Anne.



The coronation in 1953.



With the Queen Mother.