Sansa Stark's coronation gown: 7 emotional details you missed on Game of Thrones
21 May 2019, 15:16
Sansa's gown contained several references to the North and one huge tribute to her mother, Catelyn Stark.
The final episode of Game of Thrones might have split opinions (lol, that's an understatement) on the internet, but there's one thing that we can absolutely all agree on: Sansa Stark's overall character arc and ending was one of the best things to come out of the entire series.
At the end of the episode, we see what the Stark children - who miraculously survived - did next. Half-Stark Jon heads back North of the Wall, Bran the Broken remains in King's Landing as King, Arya sets sail on her explorations and Sansa returns home to Winterfell, alone, where she's finally crowned Queen in the North.
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The episode also shows Sansa's coronation, complete with her gown and the moment the crown in placed on her head. But what you might have missed was the subtle clues, references and hidden details within the whole look that all echo Sansa's story.
Here are all the details you missed in Sansa's coronation dress and her choice of hairstyle:
Sansa Stark's coronation (2019) oil on canvas. Artist: God herself #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/fspUWgFiRK
— Salsa Star (@monodelarctic) May 20, 2019
Sansa's coronation dress
Before she's crowned as Queen in the North, we are shown shots of Sansa's gown as she's getting ready for her big moment. But each shot hints at a different meaning behind the features of her dress.
Sansa's coronation look combines the symbols, fabrics and embroidery of several places that make up the North - and that have had an impact on her life and heritage.
- The fabric on her sleeves, which look like fish scales, is representative of her mother's house, House Tully.
- The dress is also blue, which is one of the colours of House Tully. It's also reminiscent of the blue colour she was wearing when we first met her in season 1, episode 1.
- The red leaves embroidered on her dress symbolise the Weirwood tree of the Godswood in Winterfell. While the Weirwood tree played a big part in the final season, it's also where her father Ned Stark spent a good chunk of his time.
- Some fans have also noticed that the fabric used on the skirt of the dress is the same fabric used on Margaery's wedding dress.
Sansa also wears an intricate bodice over the top of her dress, reminiscent of armour.
Ooop guess where we’ve seen the exact fabric of #SansaStark’s finale dress before 🗣 #GamefThrones pic.twitter.com/b2qGmhXhkJ
— Hogan McLaughlin (@HoganMcLaughlin) May 20, 2019
Sansa's Stark crown
Of course, the most obvious nod to her name is her crown but the simplicity of it, compared to the bold and over the top Baratheon crowns, is notable. Fans have also noticed how similar it is to Cersei's crown, which was a twisted band that came together in the front to form a lion.
In Sansa's case, the heads of two Direwolves join in the middle.
Stark wolves, Tully scales, Weirwood leaves, Sansa IS the North pic.twitter.com/bz2Pd8DfQC
— el (@springsansa) May 20, 2019
Sansa's hair
Across the entire series, Sansa has had some of the most elaborate and ornate hairstyles but they always varied in style depending on where she was in Westeros, who she was trying to emulate and who she was actually with. (Remember when she dyed her hair black during her Littlefinger days?)
In the final episode, Sansa wears her hair completely down - without curls or braids - at her coronation, signifying that she's finally done trying to be someone else and that she's now completely in control of herself and her own fate.
In an interview with Vox, culture expert Anthony Oliveira explains that her final look echoes the coronation of Elizabeth I.
Sansa’s hair completely down (vs complicated looks of her youth & severe pinbacks of Winterfell stewardship) took my breath away.
— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) May 20, 2019
Elizabeth wore hers down at her coronation to signal sexual purity, in open hostility to those who said her sexual abuse ruined her. #GameOfThrones
sansa vs elizabeth. power, a woman ruling alone, unmarried, sexual abuse from a creepy “uncle”, family members lost for “treason”, purity, beauty, red hair, survivors. #GameofThrones #SansaStark pic.twitter.com/zBUPd08vEg
— selin (@blackeyeedpea) May 20, 2019