The Queen does indeed have clothes. So many in fact that she can wear clothing given to her two decades ago.
Sticking with the British tradition of not ostentatiously flaunting one’s wealth, the Queen will not be buying a new gown for a state banquet she’s attending in Slovenia. Instead the monarch will don an evening gown made from material given to her more than 20 years ago.
Buckingham Palace officials have dubbed her Majesty’s thrifty move “Credit Crunch Couture”. (And it actually falls in line with how many well-heeled consumers feel guilty or embarrassed at spending recklessly during the ongoing crisis.)
The Queen’s material is a gold, silver and grey brocade, received by the Queen during a Middle East tour. The material had, up until now, been laid in storage, preserved in acid-free paper. (How much does the storage fee on THAT cost?)
“The material that has been re-used for the Queen’s outfit tonight had been stored nicely in the palace for more than 20 years but it was difficult to know what to do with it because it was so good. The Queen then realised that it could be put to very good use as a gown for the state banquet.”
At a mere wave of the Queen’s hand, her in-house design team turning the material into a full-length formal evening gown.
A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said that the Queen is well-known for being economical.
She said: “The Queen has always been thrifty and she is well-known for her culture of saving energy around the palace.
“Wherever possible, members of the Royal Family try to re-use what they have in order to save money where they can. They always make sure they switch off lights before leaving a room.
“The Princess Royal is well-known for recycling outfits and the Duke of Edinburgh has been reported as wearing the same pair of trousers that he had made 51 years ago.”
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