The Queen Mother’s dress in 1923 is described as one of the simplest ever made for a royal wedding — it was made of chiffon moire, dyed to match the colour of the point de Flanders lace veil lent by Queen Mary.
The reason: The Queen of Britain, the country still in the grip of post-World War I austerity, preferred not to be extravagant — fascinating evidence of her frugality has been revealed in a letter she hand wrote to her dressmaker.

In 1926, the Queen Mother sent the letter to Madame Handley Seymour expressing concern at the high cost of her clothing bills. The mail forms part of an archive belonging to the exclusive London court dressmaker which is to be auctioned next month, the Daily Mail reported here on Thursday.

The letter, dated September 27, was written while the Queen Mother, then Duchess of York, stayed at Balmoral, apparently before a visit to Australia.

She wrote: “Would you be very kind and look through my bill before it is sent to me this autumn, as I thought that a few items in the last one were rather too expensive.

“I think it would be a good thing if you would do this as my clothes have cost a terrible lot lately. And I shall have to get some for Australia.

“Naturally I want to get them from you and it would be most helpful if you could see that they are not too dear.”
The three-page letter is inviting bids between 150 and 250 pounds. It is be to put up for sale, including ten other lots, in Exeter on January 30 next year.

Hampton and Littlewood Auction House Director Rachel Littlewood described it as fascinating. “It shows that despite their wealth she seemed to be concerned in those hard days between the World Wars that she did not want to be over extravagant when the population were struggling.”