Queen to celebrate 60th anniversary

Buckingham Palace is celebrating the 60-year anniversary of the Queen and Prince Philip with a small exhibition of wedding gifts, diamond jewellery as well as the dress and 13-foot bridal veil designed by Norman Hartnell.

The exhibition, "A Royal Wedding: 20 November 1947," includes such items such as a piece of lace hand-spun by Mahatma Gandhi for the royal couple; porcelain chocolate pots from Pope Pius XII, and a Singer sewing machine from the provost and council of the town of Clydebank, Scotland.

8 August 2007

Princess Royal Continues Fashion Role

The Princess Royal has agreed to continue in her role as president of UK Fashion Exports for a further three years from January 2003, it was revealed after the UKFE Awards in London last week.

Emap retail, who was a sponsor of the event, and awarded free exhibition space at Pure Accessories to winner wedding shoe specialist Rainbow Club, space at Premier Kids to luxury kidswear company Cashmere Cause and space at Pure Elan to womenswear award winner Eskandar.

Menswear award winner Ben Sherman received free advertising space. The awards were made by Emap retail managing director Steven Newbold.

1 July 2003

Zara Philips defies Ascot protocol

Royal Ascot protocol states formal wear should cover shoulders, skirt length below the knee and hat covering the crown of the head. Zara Philips, arguably the most fashionable royal of the moment, attended the evening in a Gharani Strok dress split to the thigh.

The red leaf print and black dress is not the most common choice for Ascot ladies, who prefer pastels and more conservative looks. Zara chose stylist Ceril Campbell to give her a more funky image. Zara's hat was designed by Tara O'Callaghan, her favourite milliner.

18 June 2003

Queen's dressmaker dies

One of Britain's steadfast veterans of fashion, Sir Hardy Amies, died this week at the age of 93. Tim Maltin, managing director of Hardy Amies Ltd, said that: "He died in his sleep at his home in the country. It is always a shock but his house continues, as he would have wished, to live up to his design style."

Known at "the man who dressed the Queen", a statement that was a constant irritation to him, Amies had a career that spanned more than 50 years. Although 93 when he died it was only last year, at the age of 92, that Amies finally laid down his tape measure and retired.

His design's were worn by the likes of Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh and Lady Diana Cooper, but, like it or not, it was his creations for the Queen - for whom he has worked since 1951 - which brought his name into homes the world over.

March 8, 2003