Fashion has always been at the heart of royal courts. Long before photography was invented we have the old masters’ paintings to give us a taste of the beautiful, richly ornate gowns worn by the aristocracy and royalty. Such was the prestige of a royal commission that great efforts were taken to avoid imitiation. It is said that Jane Bidney ordered the destruction of the lace design she had made for Queen Victoria’s wedding dress so it could not be copied. Which is nothing compared to the fierce, if possibly apochryphal, tale that would have us believe that Ivan the Terrible blinded his own architect, Postnik Yakovlev, after he had built the Cathedral of St. Basil. Queen Victoria would never have conceived that mode of exclusivity, but she was careful to keep a detailed record of the garments she wore. Such royal records have added depth to recent exhibitions of royal wardrobes that remind us of the range of gorgeous fabrics used – from beautiful laces, pink and silver silk, satin and broderie anglais and rich velvet. As a rule, royal fashion has always been filled with creations that were stunning – from the ornamental accessories complementing en vogue hairstyles, to delicate, richly embroidered dresses which are true works of art. From the Victorian era of costume designers like Eugene Lami, to the twentieth century styles of Norman Hartnell and the contemporary styles of today’s leading fashion gurus – from Armani to Valentino. 
