On June 2, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate seven decades on the throne, making her Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
The platinum jubilee celebrations begin on the hybrid date of her coronation day, June 2, and the year she ascended the throne, 1952.
Back then, no one could have guessed that the 25-year-old Queen Elizabeth would rule for so long, nor that the gown she wore for the occasion would gain a new audience 70 years later.
To mark the jubilee, celebrations are scheduled to take place all over the UK, one of which is Superbloom at the Tower of London, essentially a garden of wild flowers filling the ancient moat. Part of it, called The Queen's Garden, was created by British artist Max Jacquard, who has crafted a series of glass "flowers" on stands to rise above the flower beds.
In gently pastel colours, the glass flowers are flat, as if pressed in a book, yet are intricately patterned, because each one was inspired by the hand-embroidered flowers on Queen Elizabeth's coronation gown of 1953.
The story behind Queen Elizabeth II's coronation gown
The original coronation gown that inspired Jacquard was created by Norman Hartnell, and although it marks such an important moment in British history, ironically, it was not the design Hartnell wanted.
Known for his use of embroidery, Hartnell was already something of a star in Britain for the lavish gowns he created during the interwar years. With an exacting eye, and a skilled atelier that created all the handwork, Hartnell's flair for tasteful opulence made him famous, and soon he was drawn into the royal circle.
In 1940 he was awarded a Royal Warrant as dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and a 1947 photograph of a then Princess Elizabeth by Cecile Beaton has her in an embroidered, puff-sleeved Hartnell gown.
Such was his relationship with the royal family that when the queen married Prince Philip in 1947, she asked Hartnell to design her dress.
For her coronation, naturally, she turned to her trusted designer to create what is arguably the most significant gown of her reign.
In his 1955 autobiography, Silver and Gold, Hartnell wrote of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the invitation. “I can scarcely remember what I murmured in reply," he would later write, but did note Elizabeth's request that the gown be similar to her wedding dress, and that she wanted it to be made in white satin.
At the first televised coronation of a British royal — 27 million people in the UK, out of a population of 36 million, watched it — the queen's gown was more than just a dress. It had to set the tone of a new monarchy. As only the eighth queen since medieval times, the dress had to convey the weight, history and solemnity of the occasion, while emphasising Queen Elizabeth's youth and, crucially, her connection to the modern world.
The making of the gown
Clearly, Hartnell was under pressure to create something that could live up to moment. "I settled down to study exactly what history and tradition meant by a 'Coronation dress'," he wrote. "I visited the London Museum and the London Library and leafed through authoritative tomes. I then retired to the seclusion of Windsor Forest and there spent many days making trial sketches.”
Working around ideas of heraldic motifs and flowers, including "lilies, roses, marguerites and golden corn", Hartnell came up with nine different designs for the dress that ran from “severe simplicity" to the richly elaborate.
Queen Elizabeth chose the eighth design, covered in the emblems of Great Britain; the rose, thistle and shamrock, and even a daffodil Hartnell mistakenly thought represented Wales. Of the different designs he later admitted he "liked the last one best", but had prudently kept his preference to himself.
To ensure the dress was different from her wedding gown, Queen Elizabeth requested the embroidery should be in colour rather than silver, and she asked that the design reflect all of the domains she would soon be ruler over.
With a dress of this magnitude, every element had to be perfected in advance, and Hartnell presented samples of what the embroidery of each motif would look like. England, for example, would be represented by a Tudor rose, stitched in "palest pink silk, pearls, gold and silver bullion and rose diamonds", while the Scottish thistle would be worked in "pale mauve silk and amethysts". The stem would be in green silk and diamond dewdrops.
Ireland's shamrock emblem was captured in green silk, silver thread bullion and diamonds, while Wales' now-correct leek would be in "white silk and diamonds with the leaves in palest green silk".
Canada's maple leaf was to be embroidered in green silk and bordered with gold bullion thread and veined in crystal, while the wattle flower of Australia would be rendered as mimosa yellow blossom with the foliage in green and gold thread.
India, meanwhile, would be represented by the lotus flower, captured in mother-of-pearl embroidered petals, seed pearls and diamonds.
For the body of the gown, the silk came from Britain's first silk farm in Lullingstone Castle, established by Lady Hart Dyke, and was woven in cloth by Warner & Sons in Essex, the silk specialist that had woven the coronation robes for King Edward VII. The company would also make the Queensway Coronation Silk that would hang in Westminster Abbey during the queen's crowning.
The cut of Hartnell's dress is relatively simple: floor length, with full skirts, short sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. What makes it spectacular, however, is the painstaking embroidery that covers it from neck to hem.
In what must have taken thousands of hours to create, three tiers of scalloped shapes — in pearls, diamante and gold bugle beads — frame bunches of flowers that also spill around the hem. The rest of the gown, meanwhile, is covered in an intricate lattice of seed pearls, sequins and crystals, so every part of the dress was decorated.
For the actual ceremony, the queen wore the Robe of the Estate on her shoulders, with its 6.5-metre-long, ermine-trimmed cape covering most of Hartnell's work.
The robe, made by Ede and Ravenscroft in English silk, was itself decorated with 18 different types of gold thread and embroidered with wheat ears and olive branches, to symbolise prosperity and peace for Queen Elizabeth's reign.
A legacy that lives on
Now, Hartnell's gown is on display at Windsor Castle, renunited with the Robe for the first public display since 2013.
Thousands of people are expected to view the historical garment, to marvel at its place in history, and to enjoy the astonishing handwork that is it covered in.
In contrast, millions are expected to see the floral tribute at the Tower of London, and the fragile glass flower garden created by Jacquard.
While many will have little idea of the inspiration behind it, Hartnell, who died in 1979, would have been delighted that work that was often hidden in the ceremony, is finally having its moment in the sun.
Royal tiaras on display to mark Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee — in pictures
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESofia%20Boutella%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Michiel%20Huisman%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Hani%20Abu%20Ghazaleh%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20with%20an%20office%20in%20Montreal%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%202018%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Virtual%20Reality%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%241.2%20million%2C%20and%20nearing%20close%20of%20%245%20million%20new%20funding%20round%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
