The Crown: The best costume from the award-winning royal Netflix drama

From Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress to Princess Margaret's statement coat

 

Sarah Young
Sunday 17 November 2019 09:47 GMT
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Claire Foy scooped a Golden Globe for her starring role as Queen Elizabeth 11 in 'The Crown'
Claire Foy scooped a Golden Globe for her starring role as Queen Elizabeth 11 in 'The Crown'

Emmy-award winning royal drama The Crown has reignited a fascination with the inner workings of the royal family ever since it made its debut on Netflix in 2016.

And, if you believe the rumours, the telling of Queen Elizabeth II's tumultuous life – from her marriage to Prince Philip right through to her present-day reign – has one of the biggest budgets of any television series ever, costing the streaming service more than $130m (£101m) to produce.

But, when you consider not only the cinematic scale of the show, but also its exquisite recreations of the royal family’s wardrobe, the sizeable expense is wholly justifiable.

So far, each series has enlisted the help of a different costume designer to recreate and capture the spirit of highly publicised real life ensembles. Michele Clapton (Season 1) and Jane Petrie (Season 2) effortlessly rose to the challenge, designing glamorous and memorable costumes that lavishly reimagine life behind palace doors.

In anticipation of the show's third season premiere on 17 November – which charts the years of 1964 right up until the late 1972 – we have rounded up some of the best outfits from Britain’s most famous family's wardrobe as depicted in the show, from Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress to Prince Philip’s knitwear collection.

Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress

(Netflix)

The amount of money it cost to recreate Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress should help quash any doubts you may have regarding the veracity behind the claims surrounding The Crown’s colossal budget.

The luxurious gown, which is an exact replica of the one Queen Elizabeth wore when she wed Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in 1947, cost the wardrobe department a whopping £30,000 and took seven weeks to make.

The original ivory silk duchesse satin dress was designed by royal couturier Norman Hartnell and featured elaborately embroidered star lily and orange blossom motifs.

It was also encrusted with 10,000 seed pearls imported from America and featured a high neckline and long sleeves with a tailored bodice and full skirt that gave way to a 13-foot train.

Princess Margaret’s Statement Coat

(Netflix)

While her older sister may rule the nation, Princess Margaret’s wardrobe certainly gave Queen Elizabeth’s sartorial efforts a run for their money.

Case in point: This fuzzy checked coat worn by actor Vanessa Kirby for her motorbike scenes in the show's second season.

Margaret was a veritable fashion icon in her day and often referred to as a “royal rebel”, partly for her love of bold ensembles that were in stark contrast to those worn by her prim sister.

For this look, Petrie and Kirby analysed images of the royal before settling on a statement coat decorated with orange and brown checks. The drama of the piece was matched with a pair of tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses – an accessory staple for Princess Margaret – orange gloves and swipe of red lipstick.

Prince Philip’s Sleeveless Jumpers

(Netflix)

Prince Philip, who is played by Matt Smith in the first two seasons of the show, offers countless style moments, from double-breasted suits and black-tie to military regalia.

However, it is the royal’s affection for traditional knitwear that offers some of the most relatable menswear style tips of the series.

In the first series, Philip gave a speech about his dislike for the grandiosity of royal dress, saying: “It’s an absurd pantomime, the whole thing.

“I don’t see why anyone can’t see beyond it…Like giving a lick of paint to a rusty old banger to make everyone think it’s all still fine. If the costumes are grand enough, if the tiara’s sparkly enough, if the titles are preposterous enough, the mythology comprehensible enough, then all must be fine.”

(Neflix )

The prince’s stance is tangible in the costume department’s choice of the sleeveless jumper which makes several appearances throughout the series in a classic colour palette of black, grey, navy and burgundy.

Philip’s love of knitwear doesn’t stop there though, with the royal opting for a patterned navy knitted jumper when making his Christmas address.

Jackie Kennedy’s Satin Gown

(Netflix)

Jackie Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States during the presidency of John F. Kennedy, first visited Buckingham Palace during her European tour of 1961.

According to reports, Kennedy was so unimpressed by the palace’s furnishings and Queen Elizabeth II's appearance that she remarked during dinner that the Queen was, “a middle-aged woman so incurious, unintelligent, and unremarkable that Britain's new reduced place in the world was not a surprise but an inevitability.”

As depicted in the second season of The Crown, the meeting between the Queen and the First Lady showed the stark contrast between the pair, not only in their personalities, but also in their choice of clothing.

Kennedy wore a sleek blue silk gown, while Elizabeth looked comparatively old-fashioned in a voluminous A-line tulle dress.

For Kennedy’s costume, Petrie eschewed a boat-neck style gown like the one the First Lady actually wore for the dinner, and instead created a periwinkle strapless dress that was paired with elegant white gloves.

Petrie later explained that while the outfit is similar to a Dior one Kennedy wore in real life, she added a drape on the back because she knew it would be shot from behind.

Princess Margaret’s Opera Dress

(Netflix)

While Princess Margaret’s downtime wardrobe consisted of more fashion-forward pieces, when the occasion called for it, she was not afraid to go all-out and don a royal-worthy gown.

Margaret's penchant for elaborate evening wear has served plenty of opportunities to up the glamour stakes on the show, but nowhere is that more evident than with this blush-pink satin dress that she wore for a royal ball scene in season two.

The dress featured a flattering Bardot neckline and intricate silver bodice, and was paired with a showstopping diamond necklace, matching tiara, satin gloves and stark white fur overcoat.

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