A dress worn at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 will go on display to mark the Platinum Jubilee, after being painstakingly restored.
The maid of honour Coronation dress, which was designed by the Queen’s dressmaker Sir Norman Hartnell, will go on display at Blenheim Palace to celebrate the momentous occasion.
The dress was worn by Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, who was just 23 at the time, at the historic ceremony in Westminster Abbey on June 2 1953.
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Lady Rosemary, who grew up at Blenheim Palace, is the daughter of the 10th Duke of Marlborough.
As the daughter of the 10th Duke of Marlborough, she was the most senior of the six maids of honour and rode in a carriage as part of the procession to Westminster Abbey.
The dress, which has a tiny 22-inch waist, has undergone painstaking conservation work at the studio of textile conservator Emma Telford.
It is the first time it will have been on public display for more than 40 years.
Lady Rosemary was also provided the gloves she wore on the day, along with a brooch presented to the maids of honour to mark the event as part of the exhibition which also features contemporary magazines and newspapers from the time.
In 2013, Lady Rosemary told the BBC she learned she would take part in the ceremony when she received an invitation in January 1953.
She said: “: "One was very flattered. It was a great thrill... one didn't have any idea at all.
"It was still a long way from the Coronation itself... so it was a great surprise."
The six-month run up to the Coronation saw Lady Rosemary take part four dress fittings and eight rehearsals but playing her key role in the event.
"The noise was absolutely fantastic. The roar of the crowd, I do remember that very well,” she said.
"I was excited. I don't think one was too apprehensive. Like everything we'd been so well schooled for so long that we knew exactly what we had to do and when we had to do it.
"The Queen was very relaxed and full of confidence. When we were all in place and holding her train she said 'Are you ready girls?' and we set off.
"When the Queen made her oath and she was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury with oil on her forehead, dressed in just a little linen shift, she looked very vulnerable, but she was completely calm and fantastic,” she added.
The dress will be on display at Blenheim Palace during its Platinum Jubilee celebrations between June 2 and 5. Find out more here: blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events/platinum-jubilee/
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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