Read our first installment on Dior and Princess Grace, here.
Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret first met Christian Dior in the spring of 1949, on a trip to the continent. Margaret must have liked what she saw, because she, her sister and the Queen Mother requested, and received, a private fashion show from the designer at the French embassy in London the next year. Margaret embraced the New Look, and it flattered her figure immensely. For his part, Dior loved London, the Brits, and his British princess.
Dior was engaged to create the gown for Margaret’s 21st birthday portrait. The result was the ethereal and iconic ballgown, immortalized by the Cecil Beaton photograph. The gown is in the care of Museum of London, and the delicate embroidery is still intact. I rarely beseech anyone to do anything, but I beseech you to click that link and see the photos of this amazing dress. It’s from Dior’s “Oblique” line, and it is the princessy-est dress a princess has ever worn.
Princess Diana
Dior himself died quite young, in 1957. Although the reigns of the design house have changed hands several times, the brand continue to be a favorite with the royals. Throughout the mid-nineties, Diana could be found running about London, swinging her iconic Dior handbag, the Miss Dior. (The suit is Galliano).
Diana famously wore Dior to the Met Gala. It was not the finest pairing of design house to royal. Diana looks somewhat uncomfortable in the gown, although she zhuzzed it up royal-style with her pearl choker.
Princess Charlene
Princess Charlene has worn Dior frequently, to excellent effect. In years past, Dior has been a sponsor for the Princess Grace awards and Charlene reciprocated the favor by wearing the house’s gowns. One of my favorites was worn for the 2015 event.
The gown she wore for the 2016 Princess Grace awards had a lovely, summery effect.
Queen Mathilde
Queen Mathilde has sported the Dior brand on a few memorable occasions, mostly in France. I particularly like this lovely, ladylike pink suit worn for a 2014 official visit to France.
In 2014, she wore a lilac Dior to the ceremonies at Ouistreham, France for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Duchess of Sussex
The Duchess of Sussex wore this dramatic Dior for the centenary anniversary of the RAF in 2018, pairing it with a sassy pair of pink shoes.
La BB
I’m not sure that anyone can wear contemporary Dior quite like Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi. She is royal-adjacent at best, but she does illustrate the connection between Monaco and Dior perfectly. From Grace, to her daughter-in-law Charlene, to her granddaughter-in-law Beatrice, the tradition continues. Much like Hartnell is associated with the British royals, Dior is embedded in the Monaco sartorial DNA.
Comments
Dior has definitely made the rounds of the royal world. Please post your favorites – royal or not – in the comments.