These are a pair of sample wedding shoes for the marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They married on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. These prototype shoes were made by the shoe manufacturer Rayne, based on designs by the couturier Sir Norman Hartnell.
Hartnell designed Queen Elizabeth's wedding dress and the dresses of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the bridesmaids. This sample design for the shoes was the one chosen to be worn on the day, although the final pair were trimmed with silver and seed pearls to match the wedding dress. The dress was embroidered with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls. The peep toe, style of heel and sling back style of the shoes were a fashionable look that was popular at the time.
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