A dazzling golden gown worn by Queen Alexandra at her 1902 coronation is set to be a highlight of a new exhibition exploring the glamour of the Edwardian era. The dress, described as “incredibly novel,” was adorned with thousands of tiny spangles and designed to sparkle during her coronation at Westminster Abbey, the first royal coronation to take place under electric lights.
Newspapers at the time reported that the queen appeared in an “extraordinary blaze of golden light.” Created by Parisian fashion house Morin Blossier, the ensemble was also unusual in that it departed from the customary white. The gold gown was complemented by a mauve velvet mantle.
The remarkable garment, alongside King Edward VII’s coronation attire and over 150 other Royal Collection pieces, will go on display from Friday at the King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. More than half of the exhibits, including Alexandra’s iconic dress, are being shown in Scotland for the very first time as part of an exhibition exploring Edwardian elegance.
Curator's Insights
Kathryn Jones, curator of the exhibition, said: “Alexandra’s choice of a shimmering gold fabric would have been incredibly novel. While the dress may have darkened over time, descriptions in contemporary newspapers described the new queen as appearing in an extraordinary blaze of golden light thanks to the new electric lighting. It’s the first time the dress has been displayed outside of London, and is one of many powerful examples of how Edward and Alexandra, followed by George and Mary, held on to tradition but were not afraid to do it in their own way.”
Jones added: “We hope that visitors to the exhibition will come away with a renewed appreciation for this fascinating period, as Britain stood on the cusp of the 20th century, before the upheaval of the First World War.”
Exhibition Highlights
The exhibition covers the period from Edward and Alexandra’s wedding in 1863 to the end of the First World War in 1918 and explores the couple’s “ritzy” lifestyle, travels and personal interests along with the glamour of the Edwardian era. Visitors can listen to a free multimedia guide narrated by Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville.
Edward and Alexandra were widely travelled and also embraced burgeoning artistic movements. Other items on show include a book by William Morris, purchased for the Royal Library in 1906, and a copy of Poems by Oscar Wilde, presented to Edward as a manifesto of aestheticism.
Highlights from the couple’s private collections of paintings, including works by Frederic, Lord Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema, will also be on show, as will items from their households designed by the likes of Faberge, Wedgwood and Tiffany & Co.
Additional Attractions
A Mary, Queen of Scots costume worn by Alexandra in 1871 when she was Princess of Wales will be on display inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse, where it is shown for the first time in Scotland. It requires a separate ticket, but a discounted ticket is available for visiting both the Palace and The King’s Gallery. Alexandra wore it at a fancy-dress ball marking the centenary of the birth of writer Sir Walter Scott, in aid of the Scott Monument in Edinburgh.
The Edwardians: Age Of Elegance will run from Friday to 6 December.
