
SIR NORMAN HARTNELL (1901-79)
Dress and Mantilla
c. 1961RCIN 250408
Worn for a State Visit to Vatican City to meet Pope John XXIII, 5 May 1961.
This elegant ensemble consists of a long dress of black lace with a bell-shaped skirt and a silk tulle and lace mantilla or veil to cover the head, usually worn beneath a tiara.
The ensemble respects the convention whereby female monarchs or heads of state wear black when in audience with the Pope at the Vatican and is an example of the careful planning and diplomacy
that is involved in the preparation of