“You’re 15, not 50,” sighs Carole Middleton, played by Eve Best, in her first scene in The crown‘s sixth and final season. The character is shopping with her daughter Kate and those four words immediately epitomize why, when it came to dressing the two women, there was a crossover for Amy and Sid Roberts, costume designer and associate costume designer respectively in the Netflix drama.
With a touch of Ab Fab Saffy versus Edina dynamic, we soon see that the sensible teenager and her more confident and daring mother meet somewhere in the middle when it comes to their style choices.
“We really enjoyed doing Carole,” says Sid, “Eve Best added something different to it.” When it came to dressing the future queen’s mother, the premise was no different than that of Kate, played by Meg Bellamy, herself. “We tried to create an adult version of Kate,” Sid explains.
“In their first scenes, some of Kate and Carole’s clothes are interchangeable. There’s a feeling that maybe her mother borrowed a puffer vest so they wore the same vest throughout the series. It’s the same low-rise jeans, Sloaney sweaters and pointy boots with a stiletto heel. Carole’s belts aren’t as wide as Kate’s.’ She sums up the vibe, which is very similar to photos of Kate and Carole from the 2000s, as “quite a ‘mom driving'”.
While the debate always rages about the accuracy of The crown‘s storylines, we can be sure that the costume designers are absolutely right in their assumption that the Middleton women share clothes, because even now we still see them wearing similar – and sometimes identical – items.
In 2022, Carole arrived at Royal Ascot in 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, both women have been seen wearing Boden jackets and Goat dresses, as they share a love for sleek and classic Catherine Walker tailoring, ladylike midi dresses and casual yet polished jeans and sweaters.
When Kate was William’s girlfriend, the close-knit nature of the Middleton clan was evident when she and Carole were seen together in an almost identical ‘uniform’ of tailored jackets or country casual looks, consisting of the same tassel boots and suede jackets. or body warmers and delicate jewelry.
Another favorite for Sid was Princess Anne. She enlisted Claudia Harrison, the actress who plays the Princess Royal in the show’s final two seasons, on her mission to incorporate some of Anne’s famous style cues into her scenes. As well as recreating the turquoise coat dress that Anne pulled from her wardrobe for Charles’ 2005 wedding to Camilla, after first wearing it in 1991, she was determined to get Anne’s famous wraparound sporty sunglasses onto our screens.
“I cried a little when I watched episode 10 and she makes the Adidas sunglasses,” says Sid. ‘Claudia and I didn’t know where to wear them, but the great thing about Princess Anne is that she wears them everywhere, not just when they are appropriate. So a scene in which she has a conversation with Prince Philip on the balcony was perfect. We had to show the director the photos of the real Princess Anne wearing the glasses because he had no idea why they would be worn on a balcony, they are so sci-fi and spacious.”
For Sid, the chance to recreate Anne’s quirky look was a highlight of her four seasons of being 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” headscarves should play a prominent role in a spinoff.
Amy and Sid, who preferred to downplay the fact that they are mother and daughter, took the initiative The crown from the late 1970s until the denouement now in 2005. When I speak to them, they are in the middle of a final publicity push, having just organized an event at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where they exhibited their creations among Rembrandts and Vermeers.
A large amount of costumes were produced for the show; 800 bespoke outfits were created and Queen Elizabeth alone wore 500 looks. These include headscarves and Prada-style blouses with a beautiful wood print, painted by Sid and worn by Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
For Amy, the biggest thrill was 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 alongside the ‘huge visually exciting world’ of an audience scene . with 400 extras.
But what to do with everything from the custom-made ball gowns and suits to the loose buttons and rolls and rolls of fabric that remain now that filming has ended? Some standout pieces are being auctioned by Bonhams (including Diana’s recreated ‘revenge’ dress and a Missoni cardigan that Sid bought for Princess Anne and wished she could keep for herself), with proceeds going towards a new Crown grant at the National Film and Television School. Other items have been selected by the V&A for inclusion in their archives or sold at reduced prices to costume houses wishing to support Amy and Sid.
The rest is donated to organizations throughout the country that can put it to good use, whether it concerns charities such as Smart Works (partner of The Telegraph who once counted the Duchess of Sussex as a patron), which will provide work-appropriate pieces to women attending job interviews as they attempt to re-enter the workplace, and Migrants Organise, where fabrics will be used for sewing classes, where members can learn English alongside new skills.
It was important for Amy and Sid to donate 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 for recreating 1945 London. The people there are just fantastic and the municipality was super helpful, so I thought it would be really nice to give something back to them.” 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 find a way to “help from within” and give others the opportunities they enjoy to be a part creating one of the most successful Netflix shows. famous creations.
Costumes are one of the most popular aspects of The crown, with 41 percent of Gen Z viewers saying the clothes are their favorite thing. “Costumes humanize a family that is otherwise seen, especially among the Gen Z generation, as archaic and outdated,” Sid reflects. If there’s a sudden spike in sci-fi sunglasses sales next week, we know who to thank.