Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V and aunt of the late Queen Elizabeth II, is stepping back into the spotlight 60 years after her death thanks to her century-old wedding dress. The historic gown, worn for her 1922 wedding to Henry Lascelles (later the 6th Earl of Harewood), has been brought out of storage and meticulously conserved for a new exhibition at Harewood House in Leeds.
The ivory silk marquisette overdress, embroidered with crystals and seed pearls, required intricate repair before display. Samantha Harwood, senior collections and conservation officer at Harewood House, spent nearly five hours carefully sewing a top layer of silk crepeline to stabilise the fragile fabric. 'It was nerve-racking putting my hands on the material,' she said. 'The dress is too delicate to place on a mannequin, so it will be displayed laid across a bed.'
Princess Mary's wedding was the first royal nuptials covered by Vogue magazine, and her outfit was designed to reflect her status as a modern princess. The dress features a dropped waist, silver lamé underdress, Honiton lace gifted by her mother Queen Mary, and a train embroidered with emblems of the British Empire. Historian Elisabeth Basford noted: 'We think of Princess Diana as the first royal to tear up the rule book, but before her there was Princess Mary. She campaigned for charities, trained as a nurse, and worked to put women centre stage.'
The exhibition, focusing on the work of society photographer Cecil Beaton, will showcase the dress alongside Mary's headdress, train, and shoes. The gown's silver cord belt, entwined with seed pearls and silk orange blossom, was cleaned using de-ionised water. After their wedding, the couple honeymooned in Florence and Paris, had two sons, and were married for 25 years.
