Two days after Queen Elizabeth II wore her iconic white-and-blue maple leaf gown to mark Canada’s Centennial on Parliament Hill on July 1, she was in Montreal for the biggest event of the celebration calendar: Expo 67.
The theme of that year’s world exposition was “Man and His World.” It was a hit from the moment it opened. More than 50 million visitors poured through its gates to marvel at the futuristic pavilions and displays by the time it ended six months later.
While in Montreal, the Queen stayed on the Royal Yacht Britannia, which was docked near the Expo 67 site. Then, watched by tens of thousands of spectators, she toured the site, including taking a trip on the site’s famous elevated Minirail with Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
For the day, the Queen wore a regally fashion-forward outfit: a sleeveless dress of pink floral-printed silk chiffon and fluttering silk organza featuring a green silk bow placed on a high waistline, which was worn under a loose coat made from the same pink floral-printed silk.
This was a decidedly modern outfit for the monarch. It was designed by Norman Hartnell, who created some of the most important and classic formal wear outfits of her reign, including the maple leaf gown worn on July 1, 1967.
The soft, loose “baby doll” shape of the dress was the fashion of the day, as was its short hemline. The coat had elbow-length sleeves and a small, neat collar. Her hat was a simple poof made of white and pink flowers on a light green base.
She finished the look with her usual diamond-and-pearl earrings, triple strand of pearls, and one of her diamond bow brooches.
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