Buckingham Palace exhibition celebrates Queen's coronation
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E-mail CNTV, July 30, 2013
While UK's infant future King, Prince George, may have stolen the headlines lately, Buckingham Palace is throwing the spotlight onto the current monarch in a new exhibition.
It's 60 years since the then Princess Elizabeth rode to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach to be crowned Queen. To celebrate and remember June 2, 1953 in all its pomp and ceremony, the Royal Collections Trust has brought together a selection of the finest objects and clothes used and worn on the day.
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The King George IV State Diadem was worn by Elizabeth on her way to the coronation. [Agencies] |
![The King George IV State Diadem was worn by Elizabeth on her way to the coronation. [Agencies]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20130730/00016c42b25a1361b3ca43.jpg "The King George IV State Diadem was worn by Elizabeth on her way to the coronation. [Agencies]")
Curator Caroline de Guitaut says it is the first time these pieces of history have been brought back together in one place.
Guitaut said, "This year marks the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen's coronation, and it's particularly fitting that we should therefore bring together not only Her Majesty the Queen's coronation dress and magnificent coronation robe, but also dresses, uniform and other objects and artefacts worn or used on coronation day here in Buckingham Palace."
The centrepiece of the new exhibition is the coronation dress, designed by Norman Hartnell. The final design included embroideries of the four National Emblems of the United Kingdom: the rose symbolizing England, the Scottish thistle, the Welsh daffodil, and the shamrock of Northern Ireland.
The state robe, worn with the coronation dress, was made by Ede and Ravenscroft and embroidered in colored silk and gold and silver thread by the Royal School of Needlework. Alongside the garments worn by the Earl Marshall are clothes worn by Prince Charles and Princess Anne, aged four and two respectively.
The exhibition also features accessories such as earrings and necklaces as well as stunning regal crowns such as the King George IV State Diadem, made in 1820, which was worn by Elizabeth on her way to the coronation, and the Cartier Diamond Halo Tiara made in 1936 and worn at the coronation by Princess Margaret, borrowed from her sister.
Another curio from the ceremony, on display for the first time, is the Anointing Gown which was worn over the coronation dress during the sacred anointment ceremony.
Finally, in the State Dining Room, table displays from the coronation state banquets, held on the 3rd and 4th of June, have been recreated with the same silver gilt and Sevres porcelain used in 1953.
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