| Administrative History | ‘Year by year visitors ask the question “And why does the Queen’s robe always suit her exactly?” We can only answer that the fates are kind to May Queens. This year the robe demanded a wearer of Spring-light fairness, and behold a fair-headed Queen was there to grace it. An effort had been made to recapture some of the girlish simplicity of the dress designed at Ruskin’s request by Kate Greenaway…. This year’s robe, designed by Miss Sharp, was made of a beautiful handwoven material, and round the edge of its short tunic was a broad band of Spring flowers, embroidered by Miss Smith in their natural colours – crocus, cowslip, scilla, aconite – a garland for Proserpina…..’
Janet recorded in 1981: ‘the dress was quite different to that of previous years. The varied prewar silk material which College had reserved for the war years had now finished and post war silk material was not yet available. Someone managed to get a length of hand woven material from the Lake District. Miss Sharp designed the 1919 dress on that which Kate Greenaway had designed at the request of John Ruskin. This was simple, straight and no train.'
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