The King came face to face with the past as he prepared to mark
the poignant anniversary of his mother’s birth.
With just hours to go until the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II,
King Charles viewed the exhibition of her style that is now open in
London.
And as he toured the show, at The King’s Gallery next to
Buckingham Palace, he was clearly taken to the past.
For the clothes on show, several thousand items worn by
Elizabeth II during her 96 years, were more familiar to him than
any other person who has seen the display.
King Charles stopped at many displays, remembering when he had
seen his mother wear a particular outfit. Even those clothes which
appear obscure to some viewers held a special poignancy for
Elizabeth II’s eldest child.
There was a special mention from The King for the more casual
outfits that are display, illustrating the love that the Late Queen
had for the countryside and for pursuits including riding. The King
seemed particularly moved as he stood in front of a selection of
her headscarves and tweeds which form one of the most personal
elements of the exhibition.
Accompanied by Queen Camilla, he also stopped for some minutes
before the Coronation gown worn in 1953 and designed by Sir Norman
Hartnell with strong input from Elizabeth II who rejected seven
designs before agreeing to the one which is now on show and which
includes symbolic embroidery including emblems from all parts of
the United Kingdom.
Queen Camilla and King Charles also showed a special interest in
the wedding dress worn by the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 for
her marriage to Prince Philip. It is shown alongside the tiara that
Elizabeth II wore with it on November 20 that year, the sparkling
diamond fringe tiara that famously broke ahead of the ceremony and
had to be quickly mended.
King Charles had more family support as he toured the
exhibition. One of his favourite cousins, Lady Sarah Chatto, was
also at the special royal showing and greeted The King warmly on
his arrival, curtseying and offering a kiss on both cheeks.
The visit to Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style was the start
of a series of events that will see King Charles lead the Royal
Family in remembering Her Late Majesty on what would have been her
100th birthday.
At Buckingham Palace, on the afternoon of April 21, King Charles
will welcome centenarians to a special birthday celebration which
will also see them receive their special cards, which now replace
the telegram that was traditionally sent to those marking their
100th birthdays.
Earlier the same day, King Charles will be joined by other
royals at the British Museum to see final plans for the national
memorial to Queen Elizabeth II while Princess Anne will open the
garden dedicated to their mother in Regent’s Park.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
