Although I have had a number of enjoyable visits to Kensington Palace before, this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to see her wedding dress on display.
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‘Royal Style in the Making’ explores the relationship between designers and their royal clients, and the meticulous and creative processes that occur behind the scenes. Five designers, spanning from the 1930s to 1990s are the focus of the exhibition, which showcases how they created some of the most iconic fashion moments for three generations of royal women.
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The designers on display are Madame Handley-Seymour (dressmaker to Queen Mary and the Queen Mother); David Sassoon; Norman Hartnell and Oliver Messel; but the main focus is on the work of the Emanuel’s and Diana’s wedding Dress.
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A snapshot
into the atelier is on show, with patterns, fabrics, sketchbooks, photographs
and interviews. Its in the latter that some interesting details were shared
about how they kept the creation of Diana’s wedding dress a secret, from using
fake names for appointments, the embargo agreements, how every sketch, fabric
and pattern was kept in a City of London bank vault and throwing incorrect
fabric and thread scraps in the bins so when journalists went through their
rubbish bins, they wouldn’t be able to guess what the dress was going to look
like.
The dress itself is the main focal point with its 25ft train in a glass case, which you can walk easily around to get a 360 degree view of the detailing. The attention to detail is remarkable, but the creases in the silk taffeta fabric drive me mad! Even now, and I’m sure this dress has been lovingly cared for and preserved, the creases can still be seen. However, that is a small thing compared to its iconic status as an important royal garment.
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Some of her other key pieces are also on show by the other designers, such as the pink dress and jacket by Belville Sassoon that Diana first wore on her Royal Tour of Australia in 1982, and the black silk velvet dress by Norman Hartnell worn by the Queen Mother.
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Entry to the exhibition comes with access to the rest of the house and grounds, which are also wonderful to visit. The current exhibition in the house focusses on the childhood of Queen Victoria, and if you have ever seen the movie The Young Victoria or the ITV series, Victoria, a lot of the artefacts and information on show will make a lot of sense. The rules from the Kensington System are on the wall (and yes, she really wasn’t allowed to walk down the stairs unaccompanied), her love of opera and ballet is very evident, and the actor Mark Strong’s resemblance to Sir John Conroy is uncanny when looking at his portrait.
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You can
also glimpse the new bronze statue in the sunken garden unveiled by Prince
William and Prince Harry to honour their mothers 60th birthday.
It’s a very enjoyable day out and the Royal Style in the Making exhibition is on display until 2nd January 2022. Try and see it before it finishes!
