Queen Alexandra’s gold coronation dress is to go on show at Buckingham Palace for the first time in more than 30 years.
The dress will be displayed alongside more than 300 items from the Royal Collection in a new exhibition, The Edwardians: Age of Elegance, in The King’s Gallery, the Royal Collection Trust said.
The exhibition, which opens on Friday, explores the public and private lives of Alexandra and her husband, Edward VII, as well as George V and Queen Mary.
The exhibition’s audio guide is narrated by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.
Alexandra, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark, married Edward, then Prince of Wales, in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, on March 10 1863.
Her coronation took place on August 9 1902 and the gold coronation gown, designed by Paris-based fashion house Morin Blossier, broke with tradition as coronation dresses of the time were usually plain white or cream, inspired by ecclesiastical robes.
The trust described Alexandra as a fashion trailblazer and said she chose a gold dress that would shimmer in the electric lights that had been installed in Westminster Abbey for the first time.
The dress was also sewn with thousands of tiny gold spangles.
It was also, by her request, the first royal outfit to feature the national emblems of Britain, the rose, thistle and shamrock.
This tradition continued on all future coronation dresses including those of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Camilla.
Exhibition curator Kathryn Jones said: “While it has darkened over time, Alexandra’s choice of a shimmering gold fabric would have been incredibly striking at the coronation. There are descriptions in contemporary newspapers of moments in the ceremony where the Queen appears in an extraordinary blaze of golden light, the dress glowing in the new electric lighting.
“It’s a powerful example of Edward and Alexandra’s attempts to balance tradition and modernity as they stood on the cusp of the 20th century; a shining moment of glamour before the world was at war.”
The exhibition also features jewellery worn by Alexandra at the coronation, including a diamond necklace and earrings given by Edward, a Dagmar necklace from the King of Denmark, and a diamond-handled ostrich feather fan.
The display also includes personal items from the royal households, early photographs taken by Alexandra on one of the earliest Kodak cameras, Faberge animal sculptures, and objects from royal social events.
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance is open to the public at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from April 11 to November 23.
