
The Queen used colour and design boldly throughout her lifetime to aid recognition but also as a force of symbolism. As a young woman she favored the work of Norman Hartnell, designer of her wedding dress and investiture robes. During a State Visit to Scotland of King Olav of Norway in 1962, Her Majesty The Queen wore a magnificent Hartnell evening gown of pale blue silk faille for a gala performance of Rob Roy at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh.
Photographed for “Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe” held at Her Majesty’s official residences in 2016 / Royal Collection Trust
In her 1945 official portrait, The Queen borrowed a gown from her mother, observing that with the country’s war efforts and continued rationing it would be inappropriate to buy new.
Cecil Beaton photo / Victoria & Albert Museum
Norman Hartnell created one of the most remembered gowns for The Queen in 1957. During the Canadian State Visit she wore The Maple Leaf dress, which featured a green leaf rather than the red we usually associate with Canada. The green was symbolic of harmony, growth and life. Hartnell used appliquéd green velvet decorated with crystals and faux emeralds.
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