Norman Hartnell was the first couturier to be knighted when he received that honour at the time of the Silver Jubilee in 1977. He served for many years as couturier to senior members of the royal family and made both the wedding dress and Coronation Dress of Queen Elizabeth II. Considerable excitement was generated at the time concerning the designs of these dresses which are characteristic of Hartnell's fulsome style, using extensive embroidery, pearls and other lustrous forms of decoration