Bridesmaid Dress Worn at Queen Elizabeth's Wedding (and by Kate Moss!) Sells for Nearly $50,000

When then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, she had eight bridesmaids in matching gowns accompanying her down the aisle

The royal group on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after returning from the wedding ceremony between Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey. (left to right) Princess Margaret
(From left) Princess Margaret, Margaret Elphinstone, Diana Bowes-Lyon, Lady Caroline Montague Douglas-Scott, Lady Elizabeth Lambert, the Marquis of Milford-Haven, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Lady Mary Cambridge and Lady Pamela Mountbatten on the future Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding day on Nov. 20, 1947. Photo:

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A bridesmaid gown from Queen Elizabeth's royal wedding to Prince Philip has sold at auction for a princess-level price tag. 

On July 2, Christie's announced that the bespoke Norman Hartnell ivory gown worn by Lady Elizabeth Lambart when she served as a bridesmaid in then-Princess Elizabeth's 1947 nuptials sold for $48,420.

"It’s a wonderful opportunity to acquire an evocative and rare example of royal fashion history," Christie’s specialist Benedict Winter said in a statement ahead of the sale. "With its delicate design, beautiful embroidery and exquisite sense of movement, this elegant dress epitomizes the glamor of Sir Norman’s commissions and the hope that the wedding of the late Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh gave to post-war Britain."

The dress was expected to fetch between about $38,000 and $63,000 and attract collectors of royal history or vintage couture.

On Nov. 20, 1947, Lady Elizabeth Lambart was one of eight bridesmaids (including Princess Margaret) who slipped into matching gowns to support the future Queen Elizabeth during her royal wedding to Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey. Lambart was the daughter of the Earl and Countess of Cavan and a childhood friend of the future Queen Elizabeth. 

"She grew up in the orbit of the royal family and knew Princess Elizabeth from an early age. Both girls attended the same dance school and were part of the Buckingham Palace Girl Guides company. I imagine it would have been a wonderful honor to serve as a bridesmaid at the royal wedding," Winter said. 

 A page from The Tatler entitled, 'Happiness was the Keynote' with two photographs of the wedding day of Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) on 20 November 1947
A page from Tatler magazine on Queen Elizabeth's royal wedding in 1947.

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Queen Elizabeth's bridesmaids matched in ivory dresses with scoop necklines, ruched bodices and voluminous tulle skirts with satin floral headpieces in their hair. Like the bride's gown, the dresses were embellished with applique flowers, designed in part by head embroideress Flora Ballard and woven by Warner & Sons, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

Hartnell was also the designer behind Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress and would later create her coronation gown in 1953.

Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh Wedding - Westminster Abbey
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip (center) pose for a photo on their Nov. 20, 1947 royal wedding day.

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Lambart loaned her royal bridesmaid dress to the Fashion Museum Bath from the 1980s to the early 2000s, and it was once worn by British supermodel Kate Moss.

Moss, now 50, was on a 2012 photo shoot for Love magazine in a home where Lambart was staying, "and Lady Elizabeth was persuaded to pose with her," according to Christie's. 

Winter said, "Lady Elizabeth is said to have found the photoshoot amusing and thought it would be fun to see Kate try on her bridesmaid’s dress."

The supermodel said, "Meeting Lady Elizabeth and wearing her dress, which had such a wonderful heritage, was a magical moment for me. I felt like I was wearing a piece of history."

Kate Moss attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City
Kate Moss at the Met Gala in May 2023.

Mike Coppola/Getty

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Lambart's royal bridesmaid dress was passed down in her family upon her death in 2016 before being purchased by a private buyer on July 2.

"Commissioned directly from Norman Hartnell by H.M. Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother) for the wedding of H.R.H. The Princess Elizabeth (later H.M. Queen Elizabeth II) to be worn by Lady Elizabeth Lambart (later Longman) (1924-2016) and by descent," Christie's said of its provenance.

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