A Bridesmaid Dress Worn at the Late Queen Elizabeth’s 1947 Wedding Sells For $48,420
The bespoke Norman Hartnell ivory gown was worn by Lady Elizabeth Lambart.
A gown worn during the late Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip was just sold at auction for a—you guessed it—royal amount of money.
Recently, a bespoke Norman Hartnell ivory gown worn by Lady Elizabeth Lambard—a childhood friend of the late Queen who served as a bridesmaid during then-Princess Elizabeth’s 1947 nuptials—sold for an astounding $48,420 at Christie’s auction house during the Classic Week of sales in London.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to acquire an evocative and rare example of royal fashion history,” Benedict Winter, a specialist for Christie’s auction house, said in a written statement released ahead of the sale via Christie’s website.
“With its delicate design, beautiful embroidery and exquisite sense of movement, this elegant dress epitomizes the glamor of Sir Norman’s commissions and the hope that the wedding of the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh gave to post-war Britain,” the specialist added.
Art technician adjusts a royal bridesmaid’s dress by Norman Hartnell, 1947 from the Wedding of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh.
According to the same written statement, Lady Elizabeth “grew up in the orbit of the royal family and knew Princess Elizabeth from an early age.”
“Both girls attended the same dance school and were part of the Buckingham Palace Girl Guides Company,” Winter added. “I imagine it would have been a wonderful honor to serve as a bridesmaid at the royal wedding.”
Lady Elizabeth was so close to the royal family, in fact, that she is said to have considered both Queen Mary and Princess Mary her godmothers.
"Lady Elizabeth was born into a now almost lost world of inter-war aristocratic privilege," Winter explained in the written statement.
During the 1947 royal ceremony, Lady Elizabeth and seven additional bridesmaids stood beside the late Queen on her big day. According to the written statement, the bridesmaids all wore "ivory dresses featuring scoop necklines, ruched bodices and flowing tulle skirts."
"These were embellished with clusters of satin flowers designed by Flora Ballard and woven by Warner & Sons," the statement continued. "Floral satin headdresses with ears of corn, lilies and silver lamé leaves complemented the look."
Members of the British royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten.
The historic bridesmaid's dresses were designed by royal couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, and prior to the auction were expected to fetch anywhere between $38,000 and $63,000, thanks in part to a substantial interest from collectors of both royal history and vintage couture.
Hartnell also famously designed Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown as well as her 1963 coronation gown.