Royal wedding dress sells for 3,500 at auction

A prototype of the Queen Mother's wedding dress has received £3,500 at auction.

The white gown, worn by Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - mother of the current monarch Queen Elizabeth II - when she married Prince Albert, Duke of York in 1923, was expected to fetch between £500 and £700 at the auction which took place in Bristol in the UK.

Malcolm Claridge, from auctioneers Dreweatts said the garment probably sold for more than expected because of current interest in the royals, with Prince William's impending nuptials to Kate Middleton, along with the release of Oscar nominated movie 'The King's Speech' based on Albert, who became King George VI when he reluctantly took the throne in 1936.

He told the BBC: "It was the right place at the right time. With the interest in 'The King's Speech' and Kate and William's wedding, it had to be the right time for it and it has created quite a frenzy."

Although the dress - made by dressmaker Madame Handley Seymour - was considered an unflattering style for the time, Malcolm said it fits in with today's fashion.

He explained: "It did not really strike me as a royal wedding dress. Although the workmanship is beautiful, it's very much a 1920s flapper style and at the time considered to be very unflattering dress.

"However I think it works really well. One of the girls here recently modelled it and it looked very current."

Elizabeth and Albert's wedding on April 26 1923 broke tradition at the time by being held at Westminster Abbey - where William's wedding will also take place - instead of at a royal chapel.