FROM Bedale to Buckingham Palace a glamour gown maker is hoping to be crowned Queen of Shops after supplying you know where with their latest creations.

And while Verb Dresses can’t say exactly who has been wearing their glorious gowns, which have been ordered by Buckingham Palace, they are in a size eight to ten.

“There is always the hope, that would be the ultimate for us, for one of our gowns to end up on the Duchess of Cambridge, but we just don’t know.” said Nigel Parkin, who helps wife Diane run the company.

Mrs Parkin said: “The first call from the palace came completely out of the blue. The press office for Buckingham Palace always handle the transactions and, in its customary, discreet and confidential manner, decline to reveal to us the identity of the gown’s wearer.

"But, curiosity aside, we’re still thrilled to be delivering our dresses to this country’s most famous Royal home.”

The company was started ten years ago when Mr Parkin was a weapons engineer in the army and his wife  struggled to find glamorous gowns for the many military balls they had to attend.

From a few designed on the kitchen table they now sell 5,500 a year all over the world. They have just opened an extended store in Bedale, under their new brand Institution, they also have a store in Newcastle and an online website.

The gowns are designed in Bedale and manufactured abroad.

“For us you would think the centre of the universe would be London, but we have always maintained it’s glamorous up north, we like the fact that our gowns are created in an unusual location and because of the internet we’re international.

“We want to promote the glamour and the sophistication of gowns. When we started proms were just coming into fashion over here and we have a real passion to get away from the American idea of it, it’s a Leaver’s Ball and the youngsters really support that and want sophisticated and classy gowns, they really look up to people like the Duchess of Cambridge.”