She has described it as ‘a very useful dress’ – and The Queen proved the versatility of her favourite gown last night at a lavish banquet in Toronto.
The gown, which was originally worn to a state dinner in Trinidad and Tobago last autumn, had been ‘recycled’ by the Queen’s dresser and personal assistant Angela Kelly.
The dress, which had been decorated with the Caribbean country’s national birds – the scarlet ibis and cocrico, was transformed with Swarovski crystals for last night’s event.
NOVEMBER 2009: The dress was embroidered with appliqué birds and flowers for a state dinner in Trinidad and Tobago
JULY 2010: The sleeve and neckline are embellished with Swarovski crystal maple leaves for last night’s banquet in Toronto
The seamstresses removed the appliqué birds from the tulle lace, which is embroidered with sea pearls and sequins, and stitched dozens of crystals on to it instead.
As a tribute to Canada – one of the Queen’s realms – the crystals formed maple leafs both large and small running up the dress’s right sleeve and shoulder.
The interlocking leaves caught the light and were designed to be a bold statement at last night’s dinner hosted by the Canadian government in honour of its Queen.
The dress was complemented by the sovereign wearing Queen Mary’s dazzling tiara.
Tribute: The scarlet ibis and cocrico birds are national symbols of Trinidad and Tobago, and were embroidered around the hem. Right, the crystal maple leaf design represented the national symbol of Canada
The ‘recycling’ of a previously worn gown by the Queen is something she has done before, and last night’s spectacular ‘maple gown’ follows in a long tradition of themed diplomatic embroidery going right back to the 1953 coronation when the Queen had emblems of all her realms sewn into her dress.
The monarch has worn other gowns featuring significant symbols, colours or motifs but usually when on overseas tours and in honour of the country she is visiting.
The monarch wowed Australians with her ‘wattle dress’ – featuring the national flower – which the Queen first wore on her 1954 tour to the country.
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