![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/4.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Lead-up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen\nPrincess Elizabeth walked up the aisle at Westminster Abbey on 20th<\/sup>\nNovember, her dress was not just a fashion statement; she personified the new-born\nhopes of a nation that had only just seen the end of the Second World War. In\nfact, the princess even bought the fabric for her wedding dress using ration\ncoupons. This was due to the austere effects of the war, and to pay respect to\nthe public.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDespite this, the dress was nothing short of elaborate and opulent. Royal dressmaker Norman Hartnell<\/a> was chosen to design the masterpiece. He decorated the gown with garlands of spring flowers, influenced by the famous late 15th<\/sup> century painting Primavera<\/em> by Sandro Botticelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/orchids.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe\npainting is heavily abundant in floral motifs and flowers, documenting around\n500 individual plant species. In addition, the painting itself was believed to\nhave been created for the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco in May 1482.\nTherefore, love and marriage is at the heart of its symbolism, a fitting\ninfluence for Elizabeth\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bodice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAs is\ntraditional in the Royal Family, Elizabeth\u2019s dress featured delicate floral\nembroidery, taken from the Botticelli masterpiece. Her ivory duchesse satin\ngown featured a soft sweetheart neckline in a simple cut, with a fitted bodice\nand a floor-length panelled skirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nbodice is appliqu\u00e9d with satin flowers, each one painstakingly sewed on. These\nare lush and abundant around the zig-zag neckline and fade as they reach the\nbust of the dress. Perfectly symmetrical wheat (which symbolises fertility) and\nflowers are sewn in diamante and pearls to the upper body of the bodice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/3.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring\nthis time long sleeves were typical, even though more ration coupons were\nneeded for the fabric! Nonetheless, sleeves were befitting for the future\nqueen. Hers were naked silk at the shoulder and bejewelled at the cuff with a\nscalloped edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, the\nbodice ends in a low v waist with a line of five-petalled star lilies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Skirt<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe dress\nwas heavily embellished with crystals and over 10,000 seed pearls which were\nimported from America. Overall, this created a shining and resplendent gown fit\nfor the future queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/silk.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMost of\nthese pearls lay in the skirt of the dress. The duchesse satin was bought from the\nWinterther Silk Factory in Dunfermline, Scotland. In fact, there is now a\nmuseum where the factory once stood which commemorates the hours of labour woven\ninto the princess\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The embroidered\nflowers and ears of wheat weaved down the skirt. Similarly to the bodice,\neverything is perfectly symmetrical and the curves of decoration almost\nresemble tinsel around a Christmas tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Train<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe train\nwas 15-foot long and created using silk produced at Lullingstone Castle, near\nLondon. Typically Italian or Japanese silkworms would be used for the task.\nHowever, as the war was so recent, Chinese silkworms were imported instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/1.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThis\nelaborate train was attached at the shoulders and cascaded down the dress and\nthe aisle of Westminster Abbey. It was arranged to delicately float down the Abbey\nsteps like a waterfall. All of the 350 women working under Hartnell were asked\nto stitch at least one flower so they could remember taking part in a piece of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nflowers on the train include jasmine, smilax, lilacs and white rose, all in\ntransparent applique tulle embroidery. Above all, orange blossoms were featured\non the train; there are lines of the flowers around the borders. Queen Victoria\nstarted the royal tradition of orange blossom flowers, which in itself is a\npopular wedding flower. In fact, the bloom is a symbol of chastity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/orangeblossom.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Accessories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nMyrtle\nwas another feature of Queen Victoria\u2019s wedding in her bouquet. Subsequently\nall royal weddings have included a sprig of this plant in their bridal\nbouquets. Victoria\u2019s myrtle bush was a gift from her grandmother-in-law, which\nshe planted at her home on the Isle of Wight. After that, when her daughter\nVictoria got married in 1858, the queen took a cutting from the bush for her\nbouquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When\nElizabeth married Philip, she also took a cutting from this same bush. Since\nthis, she has grown her own plant from that same myrtle bush, and this is the\none that royals take from to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/abbey.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlongside the myrtle, which is a symbol of Aphrodite and therefore love, the princess\u2019 wedding bouquet included cascading white orchids. Designer Martin Longman used three different varieties. However, the queen mislaid her flowers partway through the day and photographs in the Throne Room show her empty handed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore,\nthe princess chose to accessorise the gown with duchesse satin heeled open toed\nsandals by Edward Rayne. The buckles of these were decorated with silver and\nyet more seed pearls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She held\nher veil in place with a stunning tiara from the royal collection, the Queen\nMary Fringe Tiara. This was borrowed from her mother. However in an emergency just\nhours before the wedding the frame snapped, but the royal jewellery managed to avert\ndisaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/crown.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe then\nPrincess Elizabeth wore a short pearl necklace called the \u2018Queen Anne\u2019. In\naddition, she wore the longer \u2018Queen Caroline\u2019; both were wedding gifts from\nher father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally,\nthe future queen applied her own makeup before the wedding. We can assume that this was due to the austere measures of the time, yet this also presents a humbling view of the Royal Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To conclude: some more facts<\/a> about the wedding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/westminster.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWestminster Abbey<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Despite this, the dress was nothing short of elaborate and opulent. Royal dressmaker Norman Hartnell<\/a> was chosen to design the masterpiece. He decorated the gown with garlands of spring flowers, influenced by the famous late 15th<\/sup> century painting Primavera<\/em> by Sandro Botticelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\npainting is heavily abundant in floral motifs and flowers, documenting around\n500 individual plant species. In addition, the painting itself was believed to\nhave been created for the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco in May 1482.\nTherefore, love and marriage is at the heart of its symbolism, a fitting\ninfluence for Elizabeth\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As is\ntraditional in the Royal Family, Elizabeth\u2019s dress featured delicate floral\nembroidery, taken from the Botticelli masterpiece. Her ivory duchesse satin\ngown featured a soft sweetheart neckline in a simple cut, with a fitted bodice\nand a floor-length panelled skirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbodice is appliqu\u00e9d with satin flowers, each one painstakingly sewed on. These\nare lush and abundant around the zig-zag neckline and fade as they reach the\nbust of the dress. Perfectly symmetrical wheat (which symbolises fertility) and\nflowers are sewn in diamante and pearls to the upper body of the bodice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During\nthis time long sleeves were typical, even though more ration coupons were\nneeded for the fabric! Nonetheless, sleeves were befitting for the future\nqueen. Hers were naked silk at the shoulder and bejewelled at the cuff with a\nscalloped edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the\nbodice ends in a low v waist with a line of five-petalled star lilies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dress\nwas heavily embellished with crystals and over 10,000 seed pearls which were\nimported from America. Overall, this created a shining and resplendent gown fit\nfor the future queen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of\nthese pearls lay in the skirt of the dress. The duchesse satin was bought from the\nWinterther Silk Factory in Dunfermline, Scotland. In fact, there is now a\nmuseum where the factory once stood which commemorates the hours of labour woven\ninto the princess\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The embroidered\nflowers and ears of wheat weaved down the skirt. Similarly to the bodice,\neverything is perfectly symmetrical and the curves of decoration almost\nresemble tinsel around a Christmas tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The train\nwas 15-foot long and created using silk produced at Lullingstone Castle, near\nLondon. Typically Italian or Japanese silkworms would be used for the task.\nHowever, as the war was so recent, Chinese silkworms were imported instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\nelaborate train was attached at the shoulders and cascaded down the dress and\nthe aisle of Westminster Abbey. It was arranged to delicately float down the Abbey\nsteps like a waterfall. All of the 350 women working under Hartnell were asked\nto stitch at least one flower so they could remember taking part in a piece of history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nflowers on the train include jasmine, smilax, lilacs and white rose, all in\ntransparent applique tulle embroidery. Above all, orange blossoms were featured\non the train; there are lines of the flowers around the borders. Queen Victoria\nstarted the royal tradition of orange blossom flowers, which in itself is a\npopular wedding flower. In fact, the bloom is a symbol of chastity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Myrtle\nwas another feature of Queen Victoria\u2019s wedding in her bouquet. Subsequently\nall royal weddings have included a sprig of this plant in their bridal\nbouquets. Victoria\u2019s myrtle bush was a gift from her grandmother-in-law, which\nshe planted at her home on the Isle of Wight. After that, when her daughter\nVictoria got married in 1858, the queen took a cutting from the bush for her\nbouquet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When\nElizabeth married Philip, she also took a cutting from this same bush. Since\nthis, she has grown her own plant from that same myrtle bush, and this is the\none that royals take from to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside the myrtle, which is a symbol of Aphrodite and therefore love, the princess\u2019 wedding bouquet included cascading white orchids. Designer Martin Longman used three different varieties. However, the queen mislaid her flowers partway through the day and photographs in the Throne Room show her empty handed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore,\nthe princess chose to accessorise the gown with duchesse satin heeled open toed\nsandals by Edward Rayne. The buckles of these were decorated with silver and\nyet more seed pearls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She held\nher veil in place with a stunning tiara from the royal collection, the Queen\nMary Fringe Tiara. This was borrowed from her mother. However in an emergency just\nhours before the wedding the frame snapped, but the royal jewellery managed to avert\ndisaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The then\nPrincess Elizabeth wore a short pearl necklace called the \u2018Queen Anne\u2019. In\naddition, she wore the longer \u2018Queen Caroline\u2019; both were wedding gifts from\nher father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally,\nthe future queen applied her own makeup before the wedding. We can assume that this was due to the austere measures of the time, yet this also presents a humbling view of the Royal Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Bodice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Skirt<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Train<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Accessories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTo conclude: some more facts<\/a> about the wedding<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWestminster Abbey<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.wedding-dress-secret.com\/jubilee\/2.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n