Queen Elizabeth II Paid for Her Silk and Pearl Wedding Gown With WWII Ration Coupons
usmagazine.comIn the wake of Queen Elizabeth II‘s death, royal enthusiasts are looking back on her life — including a moving story about her wedding dress.When Her Majesty, who died at age 96 on Thursday, September 8, married Prince Philip in 1947, the British government was still recovering from World War II — and materials needed to bring her gown to life were scarce and expensive.Rationing had become the norm in the U.K., and the royal family was not exempt.
Determined to get her dream dress, Elizabeth, who was just a princess at the time, saved up clothing coupons in order to pay for the gown, MSNBC reported on the air Thursday.
Though she was given 200 extra ration coupons, the public grew excited about her upcoming nuptials and sent her their own rations through the mail, according to Town & Country. (Each donation, however, was returned.)The monarch’s dress was designed by Norman Hartnell and was “decorated with 10,000 pearls sent from America,” according to the Royal Collection Trust.
The dress was finalized with a 15-foot train that was hand woven in Essex. On her head, Elizabeth wore a tiara she borrowed from her mother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip said “I do” at Westminster Abbey. (A few years later, following the death of King George IV, Her Majesty took the throne at only 25 years old.)The couple remained married until Philip’s death on April 9, 2021.
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