All eyes might be on the bride on her big day but there's one other person feeling the style pressure. The mother of the bride. Not only is she seeing her little girl begin a whole new chapter of her life, she's got to have a hat that could stop traffic or no one is going home truly happy. That was never going to be a problem at the Queen's wedding on November 20th 1947. We all know how her mum loved a hat. And on the day her dynasty made more history, this Queen Elizabeth was more than ready for her close up.
The mother of the bride was, of course, another queen called Elizabeth - better known to us as the Queen Mother but at the time, Her Majesty The Queen. Consort to King George VI, she was about as well loved as a royal gets - her role in boosting wartime morale is now legendary and it had made her a truly popular figure. And she made every one love her just a little bit more by attending her daughter's wedding dressed like a dream.
The task of dressing a queen for her daughter's marriage went to Norman Hartnell who was also crating the bride's gown. And the bridesmaids. And the frock for the bride's granny (more on that tomorrow). Hartnell had been dressing the Windsor women since the 1930s and had become a firm favourite of Queen Elizabeth just before World War Two started. Their bond had lasted ever since so it was no surprise that when the then Princess Elizabeth announced her engagement, her mother commissioned Hartnell to make the bride's gown and her own outfit.
The result was a golden peachy pink full length gown with a fitted waist, slim skirt and half sleeves. It has a soft V shaped neck which isn't just flattering, it leaves plenty of room for all the diamonds that the mother of the bride brought out to play. All mothers of the bride need a hat and the one chosen for this historic wedding is ever so slightly fabulous. It's not only huge and has feathers, it's has an open crown to give it a proper gala feel.
