Wedding dress, back

This striking gold lame wedding dress was worn by the Honourable Ursula Lawley on her wedding day. Lawley was a maid of honour to Queen Mary. The wedding took place in July 1927 at St Margaret's Church, Westminster, and was attended by George V and Queen Mary.

The dress followed the fashion of the 1920s, which moved away from the more structured look of the 19th and early 20th centuries, towards a softer, unstructured shape. With its long gold train and simple veil, it was a fashion statement and the perfect choice for a society wedding which attracted large crowds of onlookers.

The dress was designed by Elizabeth Handley-Seymour (1867-1948), a London-based fashion designer and court-dressmaker operating as Madame Handley-Seymour between 1910 and 1940. She is best known for creating the wedding dress and coronation dresses of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.