This past May Princess Benedikte turned 76, and a special exhibit was held at the Amalienborg Museum to coincide with that event. ‘Princess Dresses’ opened on July 4th. It included 21 Jørgen Bender dresses, created for the princess during the period of 1968 to 1999.
Benedikte recalled that Bender was very good at sketching ideas from conversations and remaking gowns, which he did often for her. Often he would do two versions of a gown, one for summer or winter. Although Bender designed a variety of styles for the Princess, he tended toward a narrower skirt silhouette for her than he did for the flamboyant Alexandra.
The wedding of Alexandra Manley and Prince Joachim was a veritable Bender-fest of dresses. Not only was the bride attired by the designer, Princess Benedikte wore a Bender multi-colored gown (Danish star alert there, too!)
This lovely and sleek number was worn by Benedikte for the wedding of her daughter Alexandra to her first husband, Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth. The bride also wore Bender.
Princess Benedikte in Bender at the Guild Hall London, for the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII celebrations.
For Mary Donaldson and Prince Frederik’s pre-wedding gala, Benedikte reached into her closet for this Bender design.
For Daisy’s 60th birthday celebration, Margrethe wore this pink and lace creation by Bender.
“… Bender was incredibly concious of quality when it came to textile and models, a master at draping and a true artist.”
Princess Benedikte
Next week, we’ll take a look at some of Jorgen Bender’s most grand creations, for the most dramatic Queen of them all.