Saturday, September 13, 2014

Eight Hands

1883

On a visit to the Danish court in 1883, Alexandra, Princess of Wales joined her mother and sisters at two grand pianos side by side to play arrangements for eight hands.

1861

In 1861 Queen Victoria had selected Alexandra as the right wife for her difficult eldest son. The ceremony took place in 1863.

1862

1863

Alexandra's attire on the great occasion owed a great debt to her powerful mother-in-law's love of embellishment. The design, as worn, resembled an enormous confection of pastry, sufficient to feed thousands.

But soon enough  as a young married woman free to choose for herself  the new Princess of Wales grew to be much admired by the public for her stylishness.

1864

1866

She was admired by the Queen for her watercolors. Those below include decoupage-work with family photographs.

1866

1866

1866

1866

1872

Above, Alexandra in domestic costume with daughter Maud. Below, a somewhat less convincing image of maternity in a day-dress of velvet and lace with flounces descending in heavy cascades.

1874


1889

When the Shah of Persia visited the Prime Minister at Hatfield House, the Princess of Wales wore a gown cut with daring novelty to exploit a border-print  the fabric quite possibly Persian in origin. Her husband the wayward Prince is at far left, a tribute to his tailors. The pair of them taken together succeed in making everybody else look rumpled.

1893

By the 1890s Alexandra had permanently assumed a demeanor of rigid elegance. The daughters were said to be very much in her thrall.