I have been watching The Crown, and thought I would see if I could find some of the real garments worn by HM in the early 1950s when I came across this image of her wearing a black dress that reminded me of the dress Diana wore back in c. 1980, before she married Charles. She was photographed getting out of a taxi in the dress showing cleavage – for which she was criticized for not anticipating the paparazzi’s intent. Interesting that her mother-in-law wore very nearly the same dress – but in a formal portrait…
WOW. Well spotted and they both look beautiful! I wonder if she was paying homage to her future mother-in-law?
I wondered that too, but I think it may have just been a coincidence – that portrait is not one of HM’s better known ones.
Several interesting notes about this – I believe this was HM’s first formal portrait as Queen, after the death of her father, hence why she looks sad and pensive. Also, it was pretty revolutionary for a monarch to go strapless, although I think perhaps part of it was to emphasise how young she was to be taking on the responsibility.
I think the main objection to Diana’s Emanuel dress was that it was quite badly fitted and kept slipping. (I seem to remember that might have been because she kept losing weight and they had to make a second one at short notice…)
Aha!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8729543.stm
That Emanuel you displayed in 1980s Fashion as a loan from me came from the same auction.
No, sorry – my mistake – this is from the auction AFTER Elizabeth Emanuel sold her archive through another auction house in Notting Hill Gate, which was the one I bought the Diaghilev dress from.
I recall it was also the manner in which Diana exited the taxi, bent over with her wrap not covering her cleavage – she was naive and the paparazzi caught it – like her pic at the daycare standing with the light behind her.