A major royal first has just been announced as Buckingham Palace prepares for a historic moment.
It’s just been confirmed that the royal christening gown worn by 62 babies, including kings and queens, is going on show. It’s thought to be the first time this rare piece of royal history has been part of an exhibition.
The dress, created in 1840 on the orders of Queen Victoria, is on display as part of a major show marking the centenary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II.
The late Queen wore the gown at her christening in 1926 and it will go on display in a place with a poignant link to Elizabeth II. The outfit will be part of an exhibition at The King’s Gallery in London which is on the site of the former chapel at Buckingham Palace where baby Elizabeth was christened. The chapel was destroyed during the Blitz.
(Royal Collection Trust)
Also on show will be handwritten notes by Queen Elizabeth II who meticulously recorded the names of all the royal babies who wore the outfit. And those pieces of paper bring their own reminders of royal history. King Charles III wore the outfit with his name recorded as it was at the time of his baptism in 1948. The King was actually born as Prince Charles of Edinburgh.
The christening gown was a personal item for the Royal Family for 185 years. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria for the christening of her first child, Princess Victoria, who was born in November 1840 and who was, briefly, heir to the throne until the arrival of her younger brother, the future King Edward VII, in 1841. It was used by generations until 2004 when Queen Elizabeth II decided the gown was too fragile for further wears. The last royal baby to be christened in it was Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor.
Queen Elizabeth II ordered an exact replica of the gown which was created by her dressmaker, Angela Kelly. The first royal baby to wear that was Louise’s brother, James, Earl of Wessex. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all wore the replica at their baptisms.
Queen Victoria wanted the christening outfit to benefit British dressmakers and so asked for it to be made out of Spitalfields silk, from the east end of London, and Honiton lace, from Devon. She was keen that smaller industries, particularly those run by women from their own homes, were showcased in the creation of the gown in the hope that it would boost trade.
(Royal Collection Trust)
Babies also wore a bonnet and shawl which will be on show. These were covered in symbols of the United Kingdom.
Ahead of the exhibition, over 100 hours of work has taken place to restore the gown. Textile conservator, Cecilia Oliver, said ”the robe has been lovingly cared for over the generations – we even found a note on its box instructing that it be washed in natural spring water after use, which helps explain its remarkable condition despite such frequent use. However, after 185 years and 62 christenings, it was in need of conservation. It has been an honour and a privilege to work on such a special historic garment.’
Work has included patching up holes in the outfit believed to have happened when the royal babies wearing it kicked and wriggled in their unusual gown.
Among the royal babies to wear the gown are six monarchs: King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III. Prince William, first in line to the throne, also wore the christening outfit when he was baptised at Buckingham Palace in August 1982.
The gown will go on show as part of the exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style. It takes place at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 10 April to 18 October 2026, Tickets cost £22 for adults and £11 for children and are available from the Royal Collection Trust website.
