Graduate of the Textile Conservation Centre, Libby Thompson, is now Senior Textile Conservator at Historic Royal Palaces.

Libby, who graduated in 2008, was instrumental in conserving a length of richly embroidered chamblet silk, which is woven with silver and known as ‘cloth of silver. It was used as an altar cloth in the parish church at Bacton in Herefordshire; Bacton was the parish church of Blanche Parry, a Lady in Waiting to Elizabeth I. After detailed research, the curatorial staff and Hampton Court Palace concluded that this was likely to be a section of dress from the wardrobe of Elizabeth I, as sumptuary law dictated that only the Queen could wear clothing of such quality and richness.

You can see Libby talking about this wonderful fabric and its conservation by following this link: The Lost Dress of Elizabeth I

Libby talking about the conservation of the Bacton ‘altar cloth’