INTRICATE LACE AND SATIN: PRINCE GEORGE'S FAIRYTALE CHRISTENING GOWN THAT WAS A VISION TO BEHOLD
Long gown: The Duchess of Cambridge carries her son Prince George
With its long, flowing skirt, Prince George’s fairytale christening gown was a vision to behold.
But the third in line to the throne was swathed in much more than layers of intricate lace and satin when he was popped into the robe yesterday.
He was also wrapped up snugly in 172 years of royal history.
The elaborate cream gown is a handmade replica of one worn by Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, the Princess Royal, at her christening in 1841, and then passed down as an heirloom.
The original, made of the same fabric as the wedding dress Queen Victoria wore for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, went on to be worn by generations of royal babies – 62 in all, including Victoria’s eight other children.
Every British monarch since Edward VII wore it, including the Queen when she was christened in 1926.
So did all four of her children, all her grandchildren and other royal babies.
Created by Janet Sutherland, a Falkirk coal miner’s daughter, it was delicately crafted from Spitalfields silk, given a satin weave to make it glossy, and trimmed with lace from Honiton, East Devon.
The gown was hand-washed in spring water and carefully stored in a cool, dark place to keep it pristine.
But in 2004, after the christening of Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the cherished antique was deemed too fragile to be used again and went into retirement, preserved at Buckingham Palace.
So loved was it, however, the Queen commissioned an exact replica from her dresser Angela Kelly – with the same cap sleeves, neck bow, ruffled overlay, high waist, long skirt and wide sash.
It was first worn by Edward and Sophie’s son James at his christening in 2008.
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