A rare chance to see an historic royal outfit up close has just been announced.
The royal christening gown worn by kings, queens, princes and princesses for almost 200 years will be put on show in London later this year. It’s believed to be the first public exhibition for the historic outfit.
It’s part of an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II and the gown will form a central part of the once in a lifetime show.
(Royal Collection Trust)
Queen Victoria commissioned the lace christening outfit when her first child, Princess Victoria, was born in 1840.
Over 80 years later, Queen Victoria’s great, great granddaughter wore it to her baptism. The baby who was christened then, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, would go on to take the throne in 1952 and reign for 70 years, eclipsing the record set by Victoria herself.
In total, 62 royal babies wore the christening gown including several other monarchs. King Edward VII, King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI and King Charles III were all baptised in it, as well as Queen Elizabeth II.
(Royal Collection Trust)
Prince William wore it at his christening. However, Prince George wore a replica of the original. The last royal baby to be christened in the gown was Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor. Following her baptism, in 2004, Queen Elizabeth II decided the gown, made of silk and lace, was too fragile to be used again and commissioned an exact copy of it which has been used by all royal babies since. The first to wear it was Louise’s brother, James, Earl of Wessex.
The original christening outfit was designed to be much more than just a royal gown. Queen Victoria was determined to support the dressmaking industries and she deliberately chose very British materials for the gown to be made from to give them a very public backing in the hope it would bring them more trade.
(Royal Collection Trust)
Her decision led to silk from Spitalfields in east London being used to construct the gown which is also covered in lace woven in Honiton in Devon. The christening outfit was designed by her dressmaker, Janet Sutherlands, who also carried the title of ‘Embroiderer to the Queen’.
The Royal Collection Trust has spent over 100 hours carefully restoring the original gown ahead of it going on show. Plans to keep the dress in perfect condition were made when it was first commissioned with a note attached to the gown advising it should only be washed in natural spring water.
The exhibition curator, Caroline de Guitaut, said ”the christening robe was the most significant garment worn by Princess Elizabeth in her infancy and is an exceptional example of British craftsmanship – something Queen Elizabeth went on to champion throughout her life. As the earliest piece of clothing worn by the Queen, and by so many royal babies before and after her, it holds a special place in her wardrobe. We are delighted to be able to share it with as many people as possible in this centenary year.’
(Royal Collection Trust)
Also on show will be another, less well known piece of royal history. Queen Mary began the tradition of recording the names of all babies christened in the gown in a special note that went with it and Queen Elizabeth II continued that practice.
There will also be a chance to see the bonnet, silk satin shawl, sash, bows and ribbons that were traditionally worn for christenings and which were covered in the emblems of the United Kingdom.
The exhibition takes place at The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace which was also the site of the chapel there until it was destroyed in the Blitz. It means that the gown will be on show in the space where Queen Elizabeth II wore it at her own christening.
The exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is 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.
