Was Kate’s stunning headpiece a tribute to Queen Elizabeth?
The Princess of Wales’ gorgeous floral coronation headpiece may have been a sweet tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as it harked back to her wedding day.
Princess Kate, 41, looked radiant in her Alexander McQueen gown and Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece crafted from silver, crystal and silver-threaded three-dimensional leaf embroidery – strikingly resembling the tiaras worn by the late Queen’s bridesmaids in 1947 .
Balcony photos from the late Queen’s wedding to Prince Philip show her bridesmaids dressed in dresses with tulle bardot necklines and floral headpieces in a style very similar to Kate’s yesterday.
Dressed in a matching Alexander McQueen gown for her mother, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte also donned the gorgeous headpiece in what may have been a subtle but sweet tribute to the late monarch on her son’s coronation day.
The dazzling headpiece was a break from tradition for the Princess of Wales, who opted not to wear a tiara for the occasion.
The Princess of Wales’ stunning floral crown headpiece may have been a sweet tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II as it harkened back to her wedding day in 1947
She did, however, pay tribute to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, with her pearl and diamond earrings to compliment her outfit.
The earrings, created by Collingwood and given to Diana by King Charles prior to their wedding in 1981, mark a moving handover from one Princess of Wales to another.
Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey with Prince William in a stunning ivory silk crepe gown with silver embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs to represent each of the four nations.
The Princess has long chosen to wear Alexander McQueen at key moments in her life, most notably choosing creative director Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress.
The four flowers of the homelands – English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish clover – were embroidered on the dress.
However, Kate’s subtle nod to the late Queen’s wedding day was evident yesterday.
A Norman Hartnell sketch of one of the dresses the bridesmaids would wear at Princess Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947
The royal group on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after returning from the wedding ceremony between Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey. (left to right) Princess Margaret, Margaret Elphinstone, Diana Bowes-Lyon, Lady Caroline Montague Douglas-Scott, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, The Marquess of Milford-Haven, Prince William, the Bride and Groom, Lady Mary Cambridge and Lady Pamela Mountbatten
(L-R) Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Sir Timothy Laurence, Sophie, The Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlotte of Wales, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge during the Coronation of King Charles
There were eight bridesmaids at the wedding of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip: Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Lady Pamela Mountbatten, Diana Bowes-Lyon, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, Margaret Elphinstone, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott and Lady Mary Cambridge.
The royal wedding took place on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London.
Elizabeth first met Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1934, at the wedding of Philip’s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, and again in 1937.
Before marriage, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles, converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Anglicanism, and adopted the style of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, taking the surname of his mother’s British family.
The wedding was intended to lift post-war spirits at a time when much of London was still in ruins and economic tribulations were wreaking havoc on ordinary families.
On the morning of her wedding, as Princess Elizabeth was getting dressed in Buckingham Palace before leaving for Westminster Abbey, her tiara snapped.
Fortunately, the court jeweler was on hand for emergencies. The jeweler was taken to his office under police escort.
Dressed in a matching Alexander McQueen gown for her mother, eight-year-old Princess Charlotte also donned the gorgeous headpiece in what may have been a subtle but sweet tribute to the late monarch on her son’s coronation day
The dazzling headpiece was a break from tradition for the Princess of Wales, who opted not to wear a tiara for the occasion
Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey with Prince William in a stunning ivory silk crepe dress with silver embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs representing each of the four nations
For her wedding dress she still needed vouchers to buy the fabric for her dress, designed by Norman Hartnell.
The official wedding cake was made by McVities and Price, although eleven other cakes were given as gifts.
As post-war food rationing was still in effect, ingredients were shipped from abroad as wedding gifts.
The official cake is made with ingredients given as wedding gifts by the Australian Girl Guides.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett.
The ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC radio to 200 million people around the world.
Elizabeth and Philip then made their way to Buckingham Palace, where breakfast was held in the Ball Supper room.
Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day, 20 November 1947
The wedding breakfast took place after the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey in the Ball Supper room of Buckingham Palace.
The menu consisted of Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole (a braised partridge dish) and Bombe Glacee.
The couple received more than 2,500 wedding gifts from around the world and about 10,000 congratulatory telegrams.
The wedding gifts from the Queen and Duke included 500 cans of pineapple, 131 pairs of nylon stockings, 17 pairs of silk stockings, 16 nightgowns, 30 shawls, 38 handbags, 24 pairs of gloves and a refrigerator.
Prince Philip’s own gift to his new wife was a platinum and diamond bracelet made from a tiara that belonged to his mother, Princess Andrew of Greece.
The couple departed from Waterloo station with the Queen’s corgi, Susan, for their honeymoon.
The newlyweds spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philip’s uncle Earl Mountbatten.
The second part of the honeymoon was spent in Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate.