Also on show is a glamorous gown worn by the railway queens and a letter written to Yorkshire’s Doreen Fletcher from a fan in Soviet East Berlin. The concept of industry queens first came to prominence in the 20th Century, inspired by the idea of traditional rose queens and May queens in local villages and towns as well as by real regal coronations. Frances Lockett, the first cotton queen, met the former prime minister David Lloyd George in 1930. Photograph: Leeds Industrial MuseumThe queens were not just decorative mascots. Photograph: Leeds Industrial MuseumAbout 10,000 people turned out to welcome Knowles back to Lancashire after her coronation.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2017 06:56 UTC