by “You’re 15, not 50,” sighs Carole Middleton, played by Eve Best, in her first scene in The crownThe sixth and final season. The character is shopping with her daughter Kate, and those four words immediately sum up why, when it came to dressing the two women, there was a crossover between Amy and Sid Roberts, costume designer and associate costume designer, respectively, on the Netflix drama.
With a touch of ab fabulous In the Saffy vs Edina dynamic, we soon see that the sensible teenager and her more confident, sassy mother meet somewhere in the middle when it comes to their style choices.
“We really enjoyed making Carole,” says Sid, “Eve Best brought something extra.” In terms of dressing the queen’s future mother, the starting point was no different than Kate herself, played by Meg Bellamy. “We tried to make a mature version of Kate,” explains Sid.
“In their early scenes, some of Kate and Carole’s clothes are interchangeable. There’s a feeling that maybe her mother borrows a padded vest, which is why they wore the same vest throughout the series. It’s the same low-rise jeans, Sloaney sweaters, and pointy stiletto boots. “Carole’s belts aren’t as wide as Kate’s.” She sums up the mood, which closely resembles photos of Kate and Carole taken in the 2000s, as “pretty ‘mom riding’.”
Although there is always debate about the accuracy of The crownIn the stories, we can be sure that the costume designers are absolutely right in assuming that Middleton’s women share clothes because we still see them wearing similar, and sometimes identical, garments even now.
In 2022, Carole arrived at Royal Ascot wearing the same two-tone pink Me+Em dress that Kate first wore in 2020 and then again at the Chelsea Flower Show this summer. Over the years, Boden coats and Goat dresses have been seen on both women, as they share a love of Catherine Walker’s sleek, classic tailoring, feminine midi dresses, and casual-yet-chic jeans and sweaters.
When Kate was William’s girlfriend, the close-knit nature of the Middleton clan was clear as she and Carole were seen together in an almost identical “uniform” of tailored coats or country casual styles, comprised of the same tasseled boots, suede jackets . or vests and delicate jewelry.
Another favorite of Sid’s was Princess Anne. He recruited Claudia Harrison, the actress who plays the Princess Royal in the show’s final two seasons, for her mission to include some of Anne’s famous style quirks in her scenes. As well as recreating the turquoise coat dress Anne recovered from the back of her wardrobe for Charles’ wedding to Camilla in 2005, having first worn it in 1991, she was determined to bring Anne’s famous wraparound sports sunglasses to our screens.
“I screamed a little when I saw episode 10 and she puts on the Adidas sunglasses,” says Sid. “Claudia and I didn’t know where to put them on, but the nice thing about Princess Anne is that she wears them anywhere, not just when it is appropriate. So a scene where she chats with Prince Philip on the balcony was perfect. We had to show the director the photographs of the real Princess Anne with glasses because he had no idea why he would wear them on a balcony, they are so sci-fi and spacey.”
For Sid, the opportunity to recreate Anne’s idiosyncratic look was the highlight of his four seasons working on The crown. “If we could do a whole show just about Princess Anne, I’d be happy,” she laughs, adding that the Princess’s “Amish” scarves would have to feature prominently in a spin-off.
Amy and Sid, who have preferred to downplay the fact that they are mother and daughter, have given way to The crown from the late 1970s to its denouement now in 2005. When I speak to them, they are in the midst of a latest publicity push that has just seen them organize an event at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, seeing their creations displayed among Rembrandts and Vermeers.
A large amount of costumes have been produced for the show; 800 custom outfits have been made and Queen Elizabeth alone has worn 500 looks. These include headscarves and Prada-style blouses in a beautiful log print painted by Sid and worn by Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
For Amy, the biggest thrill has been the opportunity to portray “warm, intimate and tender personal moments between two people,” as we see with the sisters in episode eight of the new series along with the “huge, exciting visual world” of a scene multitudinous using 400 extras.
But what to do with everything from the party dresses and tailored suits to the loose buttons and rolls and rolls of fabric left behind now that filming is over? Bonhams is auctioning off some standout pieces (including Diana’s recreated “revenge” dress and a Missoni cardigan that Sid bought for Princess Anne and wishes he could keep for herself), with proceeds going toward a new Crown scholarship at the National Film and Television School. Other items have been selected by the V&A to enter their archives or sold at a reduced price to costume houses that Amy and Sid wanted to support.
The rest will be donated to organizations around the country that can put it all to good use, whether it’s charities like Smart Works (partner of The Telegraph which once counted the Duchess of Sussex as a patron), which will provide work-appropriate pieces to women attending job interviews as they seek to re-enter the workplace, and Migrants Organise, where fabrics will be used for sewing classes during which members can learn English along with new skills.
It was important to Amy and Sid to make a donation to Hull Sisters, which provides a safe space for vulnerable women, because, says Amy, “we had a particularly brilliant experience in Hull as a filming location to recreate London in 1945. The people there “She’s just fantastic and the advice was really helpful, so I thought it was really lovely to be able to give something back.” Similarly, Gratitude, a charity based in Borehamwood, near Elstree Studios, will receive a donation towards its craft activities.
Sid recognizes that “nepotism is a big part of why I am where I am,” so by making these charitable donations, they are finding a way to “help from within” and give others the opportunities she enjoyed by being a part of one of the most important shows on Netflix. famous creations.
Costumes have been one of the most popular aspects of The crown, and 41 percent of Gen Z viewers say clothes are their favorite thing. “The costumes simply humanize a family that would otherwise be considered archaic and old-fashioned, especially among Gen Z,” reflects Sid. If there is a sudden spike in sales of sci-fi sunglasses next week, we’ll know. who to thank
