Oh! This was the happiest day of my life!' wrote Queen Victoria in her journal, describing her wedding on 10th February 1840. Beyond her joy at marrying Prince Albert, the colour of Victoria's wedding dress was a historic moment for bridal wear. I wore a white satin gown, with a very deep flounce of Honiton lace,' she wrote. Both the white silk-satin woven in Spitalfields, and the handworked Honiton lace, pointed to the Queen's interest in supporting homegrown skills and manufacture. The public greeted her white dress with surprise, then enthusiasm, though some criticised its style as too simple for a queen. The greater surprise is how that white dress set in motion an enduring trend.
Historians quote only two notable white weddings in earlier centuries. The first describes Princess Philippa, daughter of King Henry IV, wearing a white tunic and cloak edged with ermine and squirrel fur when she married Eric of Pomerania in 1406. White was Mary Queen of Scots' favourite colour, but a white gown for her first marriage to French dauphin Francis in 1558 must-have raised an eyebrow, as white was associated with mourning in France; prescient, perhaps, as Francis died in 1560.
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Denne historien er fra June 2022-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
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Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques
