We had a wonderful evening with Justine Picardie at the beautiful Wolterton Hall last Friday night. Justine is pictured here waiting for our guests beneath the exquisite tapestries in the Saloon at the hall.
Our venue could not have been more appropriate; Queen Mary having visited for tea in 1951.
No tea this evening but a welcome drink was served and there was time to mingle with friends old and new before Justine gave us a fascinating, illustrated talk on her new book Fashioning the Crown: A Story of Power, Conflict and Couture.
Published ahead of the centenary of Queen Elizabeth’s II’s birth next month the book details the life of the women of the House of Windsor: Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, Wallis Simpson, who would become Duchess of Windsor, and Queen Elizabeth II. This set against the background of the turbulent inter-war period when the Crown faced abdication, assassinations, revolution, the rise of fascism, and war. The way these women dressed and the couture choices they made projected power, diplomacy, and even defiance.
We were also introduced to the couturiers behind the clothes, those like Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell and the work of Cecil Beaton.
Following the talk Justine took time to sign copies of her book for those who attended.
Thank you to Wolterton for being the perfect host for the evening, and of course a special thank you to Justine for her absorbing talk and her support of the Norfolk Churches Trust.
We have a limited number of signed copies of the book available from our shop if you were unable to attend but would like to purchase a copy.
