Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

[Eric_Lowe]

I wonder what happen to King Leopold I's present of a lovely dress in Brussells lace...

[Duke of New Jersey]

I don't think he gave her a whole dress, just a veil of Belgain and lace trimmings.  Queen Victoria only changed the veil. 

-Duke of NJ

[grandduchessella]

Here's what the Times said in their coverage of the wedding:

"From the King of the Belgians: A dress of beautiful and costly Brussels lace, with scarf and handkerchief to match."

As regards her actual wedding dress, it was altered soon after the wedding. When Wililam Frith was trying to paint his large-size portrait of the wedding, he not only had trouble pinning Bertie & Alix down for sittings but found that the dress had been 'cut up & altered' but Lady Augusta Bruce arranged for the Dresser to send to Frith all that was left of it.

Incidentally, he was supplied with photographs (in addition to the more traditional sketches) of the actual ceremony. Wouldn't they be wonderful to see. 

[Duke of New Jersey]

Sorry.  I must have misunderstood what I was reading, I thought he only gave her the lace which Queen Victoria changed to a more "patriotic" British lace.  I wrongly assumed that the lace was used to accent the dress.  Sorry again. 

-Duke of NJ

[gogm]

Was the dress with Brussels lace the wedding gown or a piece of the trousseau?

[grandduchessella]

It was a bridal gift.

[Eric_Lowe]

Indeed ! The locally made dress with Honiton lace was used instead. I am quite sure Prince Charles might have kept part of the Honiton and Brussells lace from QA's collection as he was said to be a collector of lace. (He was rumoured to own some lace that once belonged to Catherine of Aragon). 

[Eddie_uk]

I wonder if that was the same lace that Princess Beatrice owned. She loved lace and was the only daughter to wear QVs own wedding veil. Quite a treat!!

[Kate_S]

There are a number of close up images of Alexandra's wedding lace and other examples of royal lace in the book Royal Honiton Lace if anyone is interested

[basilforever]

I wonder if QV's veil is still in the Royal Collection and still intact. It's a pity the British royals don't have a tradition of mostly wearing the same veil like the Danish Royals do.

[Keith]

I think her veil was placed over her at the time of burial.

[basilforever]

Oh, like her snake engagement ring was buried with her. I would love to see that ring.

[Taren]

Oh, like her snake engagement ring was buried with her. I would love to see that ring.

Ditto. Sometimes I wonder what the point of even having rings was when, thanks to the gloves, they couldn't have been seen that often.

[Booklady]

Isn't it amazing the continuing new poses we discover for Alexandra, particularly on e-bay?  There have been some recently that I have never seen before, and some from other photo sessions that I recognize.  There must have been at least 5-10 pictures taken at a session.  Does anyone know how the royals did this--did they make an appointment for their photograph to Mayall, etc., or were they commissioned by a photographer to come?  Alexandra in the 1860's was apparently photographed hundreds of times, possibly due to the demand for her photograph from the general public as Princess of Wales.

[grandduchessella]

They did both, it seems. On occasion a royal group might go to the photographer's studio but usually a photographer (such as Russell or Mayall) might come to a particular location--Cowes, Sandringham, etc...to photograph the subject(s). Usually there were many poses taken--I've seen over a dozen from some sessions and I think there's about 2 dozen from George and May's wedding. The photographer could bring a variety of backgrounds and props with him and even set up outdoors and make it look like an inside photo.