The Lost Dress of Elizabeth I 

“Forgetting is the best way of preserving“ I can’t remember who it said but I remember reading about it for school

No words can describe how this makes me feel. I love history so much and have just finished watching a film on Elizabeth 1. If only I didn’t live across the world and too old to travel. My great aunt was dressmaker to Queen Victoria’s daughters until she came over to New Zealand in 1865. I have a huge interest in fabrics. This is beyond lovely. Thank you for posting.

I love how that guy is talking whilst holding his cup of tea.

Almost two thousand dresses and only one survived? Wow, thank god that church was able to preserve it.

Ok but the former church warden is such a mood. I love that he couldn’t be bothered to put down his cuppa and his excitement is so tangible but so controlled.

I have seen this cloth myself in that very church well before it was discovered and taken for this exhibition. It's honestly amazing how well preserved it is and the fact that a 400 year old piece of my favourite British monarch's dress was kept in a tiny little church where my Dad plays the organ is incredible.

Imagine in like 500 years someone dissecting a piece of Gucci

It blows my mind that we're talking about 420-460 years ago! Some of the buildings in England (and throughout Europe) have been standing for centuries. As an American, I think I would be incredibly humbled to be in the presence of such age. I wish I could visit England and see all this wonderful history!

Am I the only one who got chills when they showed the fabric and immediately showed Elizabeth wearing the dress of that fabric?

Did anyone else’s jaw drop when they saw the photo of the dress that looks so close to the cloth? Oh my god. That is so COOL!

I cant believe out of almost 2000 dresses there are absolutely none still in existence. It is amazing that this beautiful piece of cloth survived.

Remember the cloth was made by hand, sewing and all. No sewing machines. Makes you really think.

I got chills when the portrait of Elizabeth I was shown and _she_ _was_ _wearing_ _the_ _dress_

So they used a dress as an alter cloth? Lol oh dear. I love historical fashion. I can’t believe out of 1900 of her dresses only 1 survived. It’s a beautiful piece. 😍

The Embroidery is so beautiful and colorful! it must have been amazing at the time she wore it.

This has got to be one of the most beautiful dresses ever! The time and dedication to do all that hand embroidery. I have been embroidering for 40 yrs and can not even fathom how long a project that big would take. My Mother taught me, and her Mother taught her and I'm so grateful to her everyday for that. I tried to teach my daughter but she had no interest. It's another dying art. Thank you so much for sharing this story. Absolutely beautiful!

That must have been a very expensive dress when it was new. Actually a replica of the same materials would likely still be costly.

There's a certain mythical quality we hold with history; when I see part of an old painting in real life, part of me is very surprised.

That is wonderful . So much history there .

Such sumptuous designs in that period , they're like works of art. One of Elizabeth I's dresses was on display at Sudeley Castle years ago. It was black with a white ruff & absolutely teeny tiny. I was a skinny 11 year old at the time & it would have fitted me perfectly. It was mesmerising to think how small she was, as she's so hugely iconic .

It is absolutely overwhelming to see this, not only the colours, but the reverse of the embroidery really shows the detail and the work that goes into making such a pattern. I embroider, and while the front is the pretty part, the reverse is really the testament of the work and dedication you put into what you are doing. Absolutely amazing

the way they express their happiness about this finding and especially the part where they talk about the colour of the cloth, makes me really emotional lol

The needlework is incredible!

Blue Indigo has been imported from India and used in Elizabeth’s the first dress. OMG !! 🙏🏼 Today I feel more proud of being an Indian.

This makes me tear up to see and hear of the discovery. Textile Conservation is such an art and as a conservator, we could live an entire lifetime to find and restore a relic with such significance. Well done to the team for restoring and preserving history.

What a beautiful piece. Just imagine what the other dresses of Elizabeth I must have looked like.

This is why I adore England. There is a surprise around EVERY corner and in any location. It is rich, so rich in heritage. And I'm not English! According to the mtDNA! I hear that no other dresses survive (there is probably one hidden away) but there is one of Elizabeth's gloves in the museum in Bath.

What a thrilling story. I'm Australian, but also an ardent Anglophile, and to see this piece of cloth with such exquisite embroidery made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. We take so much for granted in our modern world but the beauty and sense of time, elegance and craft shown here cannot be replicated by photoshop or any of our current technology. Thank you so much for a beautiful story and for bringing it to us (via modern technology !!!)

I'm so happy the colors are still vivid, this is amazing! Thank you for working hard ❤

Whoever originally made this dress had an AWESOME talent. This is an incredibly beautiful dress. I can embroider and weave but am nowhere near that talent. It's awesome.

Such beauty!!! My nother taught us to embroider and she made brids and flowers with such care and patience that hearing the materiales they used on this dress just chills my spine!!! Greetings and many thanks from Panama!!

I love the fact, that the colours on some parts of the cloth, have been as preserved as they are. It is perhaps the most amazing part of this story.

I have been long fascinated with Elizabeth 1. I've read every book I could find on her that was credibly non-fiction. She was a profoundly remarkable person and this is very exciting to me. I live in the USA so, unless I can get there, I won't be able to see it in person but this video was really a thrill. THANK YOU!

The colours are still so vibrant, thank goodness for the protection of the rather chilly looking church.

It is amazing. The workmanship that went into that dress. It is all so great that once again we can see the people of this era enjoyed and used color.

This is just truly spectacular, that this cloth has survived all this time, and in such amazing condition. I have a silk hanky from the 1930s and it is so fragile. It just goes to show, that everyone who came across this cloth could see and feel how special it really is.

Churches, have you checked your Alter Cloths lately? You never know. I know of an crinoline cage which had been untouched and brand new which was found in rafters of an old house in the uk, it had been there 150 years, what lays hidden is quite unimaginably amazing when it comes to light. Stunning stunning find, WOW.

I love everything and anything about Elizabeth I, I love history and the Tudor times and the more I learn about her the more I want to know..if only I could have lived during her time and rule...an amazing Queen she was.

the love and passion Ruth has for the dress is simply beautiful :)

Oh how beautiful , so glad that they found it, to bad more clothing of this period couldn't of been saved for the world to see , thank you so much !

All their voices are so relaxing oml!!

I absolutely LOVE history, especially English history! I’m an American and my son and I talk all the time about how much we would love to see England and all the historical places and items! We will probably never be able to afford it, but, wow, what a dream!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇬🇧🇬🇧

It is wonderful to see that people are still visiting, and enjoying, this video.

This is truly amazing.I love Tudor history ,can’t get enough of it!

Absolutely giddy I am. What magical discovery behind the backing of the construction. Indigo and Red, COLORS such as luxury of the time and yet so mundane to you and I. Can you imagine a color being as precious and rare as gold? I vow to appreciate my blue denim with the respect it deserves. Thank you for this piece. I envy all that get to lay eyes on the exhibit. ~ on a side note, I realize life goes on, centuries pass, but the proximity of that travel trailer to that of a historical treasured architectural gem, is difficult to see. : )

I went to Hampton Court Palace today to see that cloth. You should go and see it's beautiful.

I love the enthusiasm of the British. Such a spirit of wonder.

Oh my goodness... thank you for sharing. I'm not sure how the fabric went from a dress to an alter cloth, but as an arm chair fiber historian enthusiasts I was amazed at the detail of cut work and dyes. Just beautiful.

Extraordinary! What a discovery! I love history, it always finds a way to surprise us and challenge what we thought we knew. This piece of history happens to be stunning and to think that she, Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England herself wore it. I'm fascinated.

I’d like to be friends with the very spirited lady in purple 😆

Saw the dress in December when they had the Christmas market in the Hampton Court palace courtyards. Was magical to see history inches from your face.

This gave me chills!!! What an amazing story; I wish more than anything that I could see it while its on display. I’ve been thinking about going to grad school to be a conservationist and this just solidified that dream for me. Thank you for sharing!

Truly amazing to find such a treasure! It makes me happy to know that a little piece of her clothing is still with us.

I wish we could c many more dresses😭 this is stunning. She was over the top with expression. Imagine how stunning all her gowns would of been

Amazing to actually have part of a dress of Elizabeth the First, a truly amazing Woman.

It’s a beautiful fabric and a fantastic history of a beautiful fabric and Elizabeth the first.

Dear God to live in this country with the history we have ,how blessed are we our history is just incredible

This is SO cool! You just never know what may be hidden in plain sight! It gives me the shivers. How thrilling! Fantastic detective work! Bravo!

Fascinating story of a once lost dress, from Elizabeth I and to see it was preserved as an altar cloth now on display at Hampton Court!

This was so fascinating! Lovely church building. The preservation and care of this cloth is impressive. Thank you for sharing.

How absolutely stunning ❤️🌹... wish I could get to England to see and study this beautiful cloth, just to be that much closer to Elizabeth I... thank you for this video❤️❤️❤️

Great story. Wonderful piece of history to shed light on the past.

What an amazing find! We love learning new things about Elizabeth and the Tudors. I wish I still lived in the U.K. so I could see it for myself. This video was wonderful.

That’s AMAZING and incredibly interesting. I love how everything fits together and how dedicated to your this you guys seems to be.

What an amazing and absolutely phenomenal find. I eny those that get to view it in person. Thanks for this video, otherwise I would never have been able to see it at all.

Thank you so much for posting this . Old textiles and ancient fabrics are stunning and a huge fascination of mine .

Watching this 3 y later, but so proud as I have family in Herefordshire!

Absolutely Amazing. And that older ladies discussion and passion brought a smile to my face

This is utterly fascinating!! What a marvelous find!! Thank You for posting!!

Amazing! the colors are beautiful. Thank you for the video.

That's incredible! Brings tears to my eyes!

I went to Hampton Court last year and it was one of the highlights of my trip to England and I can't wait to return this year. Wonderful and exciting place and now this to see this! Thank you for posting this great story!

textile history and fashion history can make me weep with how pretty some of the pieces are

The embroidery is so neat it looks like it was painted not sewn in.

Wow!!! I wish I could have been 1 of the people who were able to discover this & see it first hand

This has been on my recommendations for months now

so sad that I probably will never see this cloth in my lifetime. Elizabeth I is one of my greatest passions.

Yet another fabulous find in Herefordshire!

I took an inward breath when the colours of the dress were revealed. What a fantastic piece of work and a fantastic documentary. Made my day, thank you to all concerned

What a national treasure! LOVE ❤️

What a beautiful video and a wonderful story, seeing the joy on that lady's face at the idea of everyone seeing that dress was wonderful. I really want to see that exhibition ❤

I’m off to Hampton court! Wow - what a find can’t wait to see it. Great video.

That lady saying "That is just incredible" WAS THE CUTEST THINF EVER

I love listening and reading peoples' fascination with History and trying to preserve as much of it as possible. Those embroidery ladies have no idea how much they are part of History now for restoring that cloth and others like it.

This is fascinating. For the last 25 years I have restored and reproduced armour and furniture from this period and prior. I was recently asked to recreate armour for The Tower. I am only mentioning this as I have practical experience as I regularly work on patterns of garments and armour of the same period, and as I see (in this film) no embroidery that is worked to a Peascod or dress pattern here I believe this to perhaps once be the property of Elizabeth I, but I don't believe this to be a worn garment but I believe this is the upper valance for a four-post bed that was later re-used as an Altar cloth. I have worked with many designers and make couture clothing and accessories and certainly when cloth is embroidered over here in France it is embroidered to the pattern or onto the finished garment, so perhaps the finished garment was later cut into perfect rectangles to make an altar cloth? (not explained in the film). But what I see is embroidery that was worked to the finished pattern and that pattern being the MOST BEAUTIFUL upper-valance. I would love to see the evidence of pattern-cutting as mentioned in the film. I cannot imagine a situation where fabric was embroidered at great cost and then later tailored to make a dress, in my experience one works within the hand of the other. In this film at least I see no evidence of dress pattern-cutting unless perhaps the back. I would LOVE to be wrong here. My own four-post bed was made in 1580, and I have spent the last 21 years staring up at the missing Upper Valance, so I have designed and sewn this together thousands of times (in my head) and this is what I need, though in all fairness given my job I will go for a whimsical 1066 Bayeux themed Upper-Valance. 1066 is evenly mobile number... so to say I live, breath and sleep my subject would not be an exaggeration. A fascinating heart-warming film thank you, and my intention with this comment is to encourage debate, so any angry types, sit on your hands.... the tone of my comment is both warm and inquisitive. Merely the first thoughts of a Craftsman, a historian and a romantic. It is intended to evince a pause... a pause long enough for ones Digestive biscuit to break and be lost beneath the waves. This is the purpose of a comment section. I speak ONLY empirically. Best wishes from me (and all the mice in the workshop)

So magical, well done for for all your work, thank you so much 🙏❤️

Wow! What a piece of history! It makes me so excited! Real admiration for those who have dedicated their lives to preserving things like this!

many, manyThanks to all those who prserved and restored this extraordinary piece of hstory

I love seeing how happy the older lady is!

I don’t know exactly why, but this gives me chills. I would love to see this in person.

What a find! Not only for the Monarchy, but for history, and this wonderful church.

Wow to see and hold a piece of fabric from that time period is just amazing. I have 12 pieces of samurai clothes from the 1850’s and those are very fragile. I can’t imagine clothes that old I would be afraid to touch or hold it. I have been lucky enough to own at one time some jewelry from the early 1700 period. I still have a old crossbow from the early 1500 period the workmanship is just amazing.

Absolutely stunning! I would love to have seen a full ensemble in its time!!

Wow, loved the beautiful and intricate designs.

such a remarkable find!! so glad they’re working on its restoration and display!!

I wish I could go. Absolutely lovely!! Thank you!!

I’m blest to live 30min away train journey from Hampton Court palace . I should be definitely visiting in October ♥️ 👸

I love the excitement of the young lady in the end on how the dress can be viewed by all.

Thank you for sharing this piece of history. Wonderful.

It's wonderful to see. Thank you so much for this video. Magnificent!