To commemorate the coronation of King George VI in 1937, Madame Alexander introduced a new celebrity doll. Her name is Princess Elizabeth, and she is made totally of composition, with a mohair or human hair wig, sleep eyes, and is marked Alexander Doll Co/Princess Elizabeth. Dolls range in size from 13 to 27 inches and have open mouths with a felt tongue and teeth. A 17 inch doll, also called Princess Elizabeth, has a closed mouth.
Princess Elizabeth came wearing a gown, drawstring handbag, and a tiara, but parents could also buy other beautiful clothes for Princess Elizabeth. Not all the clothing was tagged, but thankfully, the doll is marked on the back of her neck for identification purposes.
The Princess Elizabeth mold was also used for several other Madame Alexander dolls: McGuffy Ana, Flora McFlimsey, Cinderella, Snow White, and Kate Greenaway, to name a few. What differentiates these dolls from Princess Elizabeth is their hair styles, clothes, and subtle details like freckles in the case of Flora McFlimsey.
My Princess Elizabeth is 16 inches tall and wears her original black leather shoes and rayon socks. Her taffeta gown is a replacement, and her tiara is older than she is and dates from the 1920's. Her necklace is a handmade original. A taffeta bow in her mohair wig complements her gown.
The real Princess Elizabeth was eleven years old when the doll was introduced. King George VI was her father. It's amazing to look at the doll and compare her to the grown woman who is the current reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Nice to be reminded that we all started out as little children at one time!