Princess Beatrice’s vintage wedding dress borrowed from the Queen goes on display at Windsor Castle

The wedding dress that Princess Beatrice borrowed from her grandmother, the Queen, will go on display at Windsor Castle tomorrow.

Designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, the vintage gown was originally worn by the Queen to a state dinner in Rome in 1961, then for the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 and for the state opening of parliament in 1966.

Princess Beatrice, daughter of the Duke of York, attended the unveiling of the dress today, wearing an on-trend floral midi dress and contrasting floral face covering. The fact that she admired and used the Hartnell gown will cement her reputation as an eco-conscious fashion rewearer, a theme likely to be picked up and followed by many more brides also keen to foster sustainable style. Her Valentino shoes, also on display, had been worn on several occasions previously too, including to the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

The Queen loaned the dress to Princess Beatrice for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, on July 17 this year, which took place under strict social-distancing measures. It is often tradition following a royal wedding that the bride’s dress goes on public view at Windsor.

The ivory gown is made from peau de soie taffeta with a duchess-satin trim on the skirt and geometric hand-embroidery and crystals on the bodice, waist and hips. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the original design was altered slightly to give the dress a more contemporary shape for Princess Beatrice, under the direction of Angela Kelly, the queen’s personal dresser, and her designer Stuart Parvin. The skirt was made softer in outline and short organza sleeves embroidered with vintage diamantés were added to the straps. The alterations are reversible.

The gown will be on display from September 24 to November 22.

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James Mitchinson