Royal Robes
When Martha Shudall first heard her tailoring firm had been granted the honour of robemaker to His Majesty King George III, no one could have imagined it was the start of a relationship that would last through the centuries, right up to the present day. Ever since that first Royal Warrant in 1761, Ede and Ravenscroft has had the extraordinary privilege of acting as robemaker to every consecutive Sovereign that has reigned over the United Kingdom and its territories.
Creating royal costume is an honour that demands all the talents and skill of the very best robemakers. Never is this more true than for the coronation robes. A royal coronation is a feast for the eyes, rich in pageantry and steeped in tradition. In fact, the ceremony has barely changed in the last 1,000 years, making it a unifying thread linking the country’s early history to the present day.
The coronation robes must naturally reflect the ceremony’s profound significance. This is where the talents of the robemaker really come into play. The robemaker uses only the most precious materials, such as silk mantua, satin, damask, sarsnet, cloth-of-gold, finest ermine and the finest gems. Needlework of the highest order is applied, while an encyclopaedic knowledge of the symbolism and history of previous coronations is put to work to ensure that the coronation robes both embrace modernity, and pay homage to centuries of tradition.
It is an almost Herculean task; yet one that Ede and Ravenscroft has proudly undertaken for over 300 years, from Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
