Queen Alexandra's 'incredibly novel' golden dress, designed to shimmer under electric light at her 1902 coronation, is now on display in a new exhibition exploring Edwardian elegance at the King's Gallery in the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
Coronation Gown Highlights Exhibition
The gown, worn by Queen Alexandra for her coronation alongside King Edward VII, is among more than 150 works of art from the Royal Collection featured in the exhibition, which opens on Friday. The dress was decorated with thousands of tiny gold spangles, designed to glitter during the first coronation at Westminster Abbey to take place under electric light.
Contemporary newspaper articles described the queen as appearing in an 'extraordinary blaze of golden light,' thanks to the innovative lighting. The outfit, created by Parisian fashion house Morin Blossier, included a mauve velvet mantle and a gold-coloured gown, a departure from the traditional white.
Items on Display for First Time in Scotland
More than half of the items, including the dress, are being shown in Scotland for the first time. Kathryn Jones, curator of the exhibition, noted: '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.'
She added: '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.'
Exhibition Explores Edwardian Era
The exhibition covers the period from Edward and Alexandra's wedding in 1863 to the end of the First World War in 1918, exploring 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 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.
Additional Highlights
Highlights from the couple's private collections of paintings, including works by Frederic, Lord Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema, will also be on display, as will items from their households designed by Faberge, Wedgwood, and Tiffany & Co.
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, shown in Scotland for the first time. It requires a separate ticket, though a discounted ticket is available for visiting both the Palace and the King's Gallery. Alexandra wore the costume 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 exhibition, titled 'The Edwardians: Age Of Elegance,' will run from Friday to December 6.
