Queen Elizabeth II's beautiful wedding and Coronation dresses will be displayed for the first time

The Queen's wedding and Coronation dresses will be displayed together for the first time ever at the Summer Opening of the State Rooms aBuckingham Palace from 23 July to 2 October. Both dresses were designed by the great British couturier Sir Norman Hartnell.

The wedding dress (first photo) worn by Princess Elizabeth for her marriage to The Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947.

When commissioned to design the dress, Sir Norman Hartnell set out to produce ‘the most beautiful dress I had so far made’. In 1947 Britain was still subject to rationing, so the Princess collected clothing coupons to pay for the dress.

The Coronation dress worn by The Queen at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. The dress is made of the finest white duchesse satin, embroidered with national and Commonwealth floral emblems in gold and silver thread, encrusted with seed pearls, sequins and crystals.

Photo credit: Royal Collection Trust