The Queen Mother had specifically asked that Hartnell should use an unusually rich, lustrous stiff satin which was made at Lullington Castle. The satin was ideal for the train, but Hartnell thought that the dress required a more supple material of a similar tone. He ordered the similar fabric from the Scottish firm of Winterthur near Dunfermline. Difficulties arose when rivals put about the rumour that the Scottish satin was made from 'enemy silk worms', either from Italy or possibly Japan. A telephone call to Dunfermline settled the scandal. Mr. Hartnell was assured the silkworms were from Nationalist China and were not 'enemy silkworms'.
However politically correct the silkworms were, time has shown that the choice of silk was not a good one and below you can read some facts about the dress in my interview with Miss Kay Staniland, Keeper of the Robes in the London Museum in 1978.
But thirty years before in 1947 there was no immediate thought in Hartnell's mind that this would be a Museum piece of the future. His concern was to complete the gown as quickly and in as much secrecy as possible. Despite the many attempts of the press to bribe Hartnell's staff, the only glimpse newspapermen had of the dress, was when the covered four foot box containing the dress, left Hartnell's salon the day before the wedding.
However politically correct the silkworms were, time has shown that the choice of silk was not a good one and below you can read some facts about the dress in my interview with Miss Kay Staniland, Keeper of the Robes in the London Museum in 1978.
But thirty years before in 1947 there was no immediate thought in Hartnell's mind that this would be a Museum piece of the future. His concern was to complete the gown as quickly and in as much secrecy as possible. Despite the many attempts of the press to bribe Hartnell's staff, the only glimpse newspapermen had of the dress, was when the covered four foot box containing the dress, left Hartnell's salon the day before the wedding.
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