Royal Yacht Brittania

I recently had an email from a lovely lady who is working on the Netflix production of The Crown.
As my mother designed the embroidery which hangs above the Queens bed on the Royal Yacht Britannia back in 1953, they have asked for permission to use the design in the film, and plan to make a replica. I actually have the original watercolour she did, I knew it was somewhere safe ... but the trouble with putting something away in a safe place means it then gets muddled in the brain filing cabinet ... so ensued a turning upside down of all the archiving of my mothers extensive works I have been doing, and of course it was not where it should have been! So it meant an upturning of almost the whole cottage ... But I now have a very organised studio ... but this morning I suddenly remembered where it was, went straight to the right drawer and there it was ...

Though she was commissioned to do the design, it was then given to the Royal School of Needlework to embroider, very finely in silks.

Quoted from here
"The silk embroidered panels were designed and created in 1953 and were the inspiration of Joan Nicholson, a young British designer, chosen by Sir Hugh Casson (HM The Queen’s chosen designer for Britannia’sState Apartments)."

Detail of side panel

Quoted from here  "The Queen wanted the embroidery to remind her of home when she was traveling abroad, with hedgerows, wild flowers and butterflies. Ivory silk from France was chosen for the background and it took several skilled workers many months to complete at the Royal School of Needlework in London. "

I am very proud of her ... a young mother with two small children, I was not around but so glad I still have this precious document, though very delicate and fragile and somewhat faded. It will now be filed in the correct place! Look out for The Crown when it is out (not sure when)

Centre of circular panel

Central panel detail

The embroidery in situ

The embroidery in situ