Princess Beatrice recently went and visited her wedding dress at Windsor Castle! As Hello! shares, the royal's dress is going on display for the public to view beginning on September 24, but Beatrice was able to have a private tour beforehand.
Beatrice's reunion with wedding dress "a really lovely moment"
Beatrice paid a visit to the exhibition on September 23, the day before it was set to open. Hello! mentions that Beatrice's outing to Windsor Castle marked her first public engagement since her honeymoon in France with new husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The exhibition's curator, Caroline de Guitaut, talked about Beatrice getting to view the special gown again!
"It was a really lovely moment for her to be reunited with her dress and to be able to see it as part of the display in the State Dining Room," she shared. "She seemed really, really happy and we talked about the history of the dress and its wearing by the Queen and the alterations that were made to turn it into a wedding dress."
Beatrice's wedding dress was originally worn by the queen
Beatrice's wedding dress has quite the illustrious history within the royal family! Designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, the gown was originally worn by Queen Elizabeth II, who wore it during several different engagements. Most notably, she appeared in the dress at the 1962 premiere of Lawrence of Arabia, the State Opening of Parliament, and even a royal engagement in Rome!
After she cancelled her royal wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic, Beatrice ended up marrying Mapelli during a secret wedding in July! It was because of this last-minute decision to proceed with her nuptials that she asked the queen to lend her the gown. As Hello! shares, Queen Elizabeth II's designers and dressers, Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin, were enlisted to make alterations to the dress for Beatrice, even adding sleeves!
The shiny Valentino heels Beatrice wore with her ivory Peau de Soie taffeta gown are also part of the exhibition. There's even a replica of the bouquet she held during the ceremony! The Royal Family posted about the exhibition on their official Instagram page, sharing a photo of Beatrice admiring her gown on display. They also included a picture of her and Mapelli during her royal wedding, and one of Queen Elizabeth II from the Lawrence of Arabia premiere! Have a look at the photos here!
