The late Queen Elizabeth II's elegant wedding dress is one of the most iconic looks the world over, but she almost didn't complete her outfit following a last-minute mishap.
On 20 November 1947, the then-Princess, who was 21 at the time, walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey wearing a striking gown designed by Norman Hartnell, which she purchased using ration coupons following World War Two. Elizabeth's embroidered wedding dress was made of ivory Duchesse satin and decorated with 10,000 pearls imported from the US.
WATCH: The Queen and Prince Philip's enduring love story
Accessorising to perfection, the royal bride wore Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, consisting of 47 diamond bars, and a double-strand royal heirloom pearl necklace – but Elizabeth almost forgot her pearls, which are estimated to be worth around $30k (or around £25k)!
Shortly before she joined Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, 26, Elizabeth realised the 46-pearl Queen Anne and 50-pearl Queen Caroline necklaces were still on display St. James's Palace with the rest of the couple's wedding gifts.
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The royal bride wore the Queen Anne and Queen Caroline pearl necklaces
The Queen's private secretary, Jock Colville, borrowed the bride's great uncle King Haakon VII of Norway's limousine to fetch the pearls, battling through the impressive crowds that had gathered to celebrate the royal wedding.
Explaining the history behind the bridal jewellery, diamond expert Maxwell Stone from Steven Stone said: "According to Queen Victoria's 1896 jewellery inventory, one necklace belonged to Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch, and one belonged to Queen Caroline, the wife of King George II.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip posing for their official wedding photos
"Despite being separate pieces with individual clasps, the necklaces are generally worn together as a pair, resembling a double-strand pearl necklace." As well as having significant sentimental value as a family heirloom, he added: "I'd estimate the pair to have a collective value of $30,000."
Elizabeth and Philip first met in 1934 at the wedding of his cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. The teenagers stayed in contact via letters, and in 1946, they became secretly engaged but reportedly postponed announcing the news until 1947 when her father George VI gave them permission to wed.
They were married for 73 years before Philip sadly passed away aged 99 in 2021, with the royal being described as the Queen's "strength and stay".
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