A Pair of Diamond and Pearl Bracelet and a Pair of Pearl and Diamond Bracelet Jewels of Queen Alexandra British Royal Jewels
Coronation Day, 9 August 1902.
Coronation, Alexandra made an unequivocal declaration of intent: ‘I know better than all the milliners and antiquaries. I shall wear exactly what I like and so shall my ladies – basta!’ On the day itself, she dispensed with the customary maids of honour in favour of a bevy of adolescent peers, who carried velvet robes dyed what one observer described as ‘petunia’. They were worn over a shimmering gown of gold silk, itself veiled by a diaphanous overdress intricately embroidered, through the offices of the American-born Vicereine, Mary Curzon, by Indian craftswomen.
Designer: Morin Blossier. Embroidery: Manick Chand Credit: © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust.
After four decades of mourning under Queen Victoria, the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra was envisioned as a dazzling public spectacle, symbolizing a new era of glamour for the monarchy. However, just three days before the scheduled ceremony, Edward underwent emergency surgery for appendicitis, postponing the event by six weeks. When the coronation finally took place on August 9, 1902, it became one of the most opulent royal celebrations in British history.
Traditionally, coronation gowns were simple white or cream robes, inspired by ecclesiastical attire. Yet Alexandra, a global fashion icon, defied convention with a striking gold dress designed by the Parisian fashion house Morin Blossier, led by women. The gown was adorned with thousands of tiny gold spangles, meticulously crafted to shimmer under the newly installed electric lights in Westminster Abbey—a first for such an event.
At Alexandra’s suggestion, her coronation dress became the first royal ensemble to incorporate Britain’s national emblems—the rose, thistle, and shamrock—a tradition upheld in every subsequent coronation dress, including those of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Camilla. The intricate gold net of the gown was embroidered over five months by forty artisans in Delhi before being sent to Paris, where it was layered over cloth of gold to create the final masterpiece. Now exceedingly fragile, the rarely exhibited dress required over 100 hours of meticulous conservation work to prepare for display.
Alexandra adorned herself with an array of jewels and pearls for the coronation, including a diamond necklace and earrings—a wedding gift from Edward—displayed here for the first time, alongside the Dagmar necklace, a present from the King of Denmark. Also featured is her ostrich feather fan, its handle embellished with a diamond crown, an ‘A,’ and the national emblems.
The choice of a radiant gold fabric would have been breathtaking at the time, with contemporary accounts describing moments during the ceremony when the Queen appeared bathed in a golden glow, her dress illuminated by the Abbey’s electric lights. This shimmering vision epitomized Edward and Alexandra’s delicate balance of tradition and modernity as they ushered in the 20th century—a fleeting moment of splendor before the world descended into war.