Elizabeth II’s zardozi gown from India tour takes centrestage in UK
London, May 23: An evening gown with zardozi work depicting India’s national flower, the lotus, is among the prized fashion items on display at one of the UK’s largest royal exhibitions in memory of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The gown was designed by Norman Hartnell, Dressmaker to the Queen, for a state dinner hosted by then President Dr Rajendra Prasad in Delhi in January 1961. It forms the centrepiece of the ‘Diplomatic Dressing’ section of the ‘Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style’ exhibition.
The display recently opened to the public at the King’s Gallery in London’s Buckingham Palace to the mark the birth centenary year of Britain’s longest reigning monarch, mother of King Charles III.
“For a state dinner given in the Queen’s honour in Delhi, the Hartnell gown with its zardozi-type (metal thread) embellishment in the form of India’s national flower, the lotus, was highly appropriate,” reads the curator’s note.
The silk dress embellished with lace, pearl beads, crystals and sequins originally had a train falling from the Queen’s shoulders, which was later removed for the dress to be adapted to include a short bolero jacket allowing for later under-stated use.
The fashion exhibition explores the Queen’s use of diplomatically significant emblems and colours in her wardrobe for overseas tours.
Visitors have been flocking to the palace to catch a glimpse of the monarch’s clothing, jewellery, hats, shoes and accessories. Alongside, never-before-seen design sketches, fabric samples and handwritten correspondence reveal the behind-the-scenes process of dressing one of the most famous woman in the world. (PTI)
More children’s hospitals turn to furry caregivers to help kids heal
Cincinnati (US), May 23: The first time 5-year-old Calvin Owens went outside in more than a month, he met up with his canine friend Hadley on a hospital patio. Despite being tethered to equipment with wires and tubes, the little boy managed to stand up near his wheelchair long enough to toss her a ball.
He smiled as she ran to fetch it. Caregivers cheered. “Look how good you’re doing!” said Hadley’s handler, Schellie Scott.
Such small victories and moments of joy are common whenever Hadley or one of the other three facility dogs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital show up. These furry caregivers aren’t the typical therapy dogs volunteers bring to hospitals to comfort patients. They are specially trained, full-time working dogs that provide emotional support during stressful procedures, motivate kids to move around and make hospitals seem less scary.
A mounting body of research shows that even short interactions with facility dogs can improve children’s overall well-being, decrease the pain they feel and reduce signs of stress, like cortisol levels and blood pressure. (AP)
