Royal christening gown
A royal christening gown is an item of baptismal clothing used by a royal family at family christenings. Among those presently using such a gown are the royal families of the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. In most of these families, the tradition goes back over a century: as of 2019, the Swedish gown has been in service for 113 years, the Dutch gown for 139 years, and the Danish gown for 149 years; the current British gown has been in use since 2008. The Spanish gown has been in use for 81 years.
While it is the tradition for these families to reuse the same gowns, some members of these families have decided to use their own purpose-bought gowns for their children. In 1867 for the christening of Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, his mother Princess Helena used a different gown given to her by her mother Queen Victoria; and Prince Joachim of Denmark has favoured using gowns by the Danish designer Henrik Hviid for his children, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik, and Princess Athena.
United Kingdom
The Honiton christening gown or simply royal christening gown is an item of baptismal clothing used by the British royal family at every christening. The original gown was created for the christening of Victoria, Princess Royal, in 1841 and was used by the family until 2004, when it was retired for conservation. Elizabeth II commissioned a replica of the 1841 gown which was first used for the christening of her youngest grandson, James, Viscount Severn, in 2008; this replica gown is the one in use as of 2019. The gown was most recently used for the christening of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in July 2019.History
In 1840, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's first child, Princess Victoria, Princess Royal, was born. For the Princess Royal's christening on 10 February 1841, her parents commissioned both the Lily Font and a new christening gown. The gown was designed by Janet Sutherland, who served as Embroiderer to the Queen. It was made of Honiton lace and Spitalfields silk, and was fashioned after Queen Victoria's wedding dress.The gown was kept and reused by Victoria for all her children and for all her "English grandchildren". Subsequent generations of the family also continued to use it, including Victoria's great-grandson Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Four kings, four queens, an empress and a crown princess were christened in the original gown:
| Child christened | Life dates | Date and place of christening | Parents |
| Victoria, Princess Royal | — 5 August 1901 | — Buckingham Palace | — and — Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Albert Edward, Prince of Wales | — 6 May 1910 | — Windsor Castle | — and — Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
| Prince George of Wales | — 20 January 1936 | — Windsor Castle | — and — Princess Alexandra of Denmark |
| Princess Maud of Wales | — 20 November 1938 | — Marlborough House | — and — Princess Alexandra of Denmark |
| Princess Marie of Edinburgh | — 18 July 1938 | — Windsor Castle | — and — Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia |
| Princess Margaret of Connaught | — 1 May 1920 | — Windsor Castle | — and — Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia |
| Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg | — 15 April 1969 | — Balmoral Castle | — and — Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom |
| Prince Edward of York | — 28 May 1972 | — White Lodge, Richmond Park | — and — Princess Mary of Teck |
| Prince Albert of York | — 6 February 1952 | — St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham | — and — Princess Mary of Teck |
| Princess Elizabeth of York | — Buckingham Palace | — and — Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |
In total, the original gown was used by 62 royal children over a period of 163 years, including by the current heir apparent, Charles, Prince of Wales. Both Charles' sons, his heir apparent Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and younger son Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, were christened in the original gown, while all their children were christened in the replica gown.
There are strict instructions relating to the care of the gown, including that it be washed by hand with spring water after each use and be stored in a dark room. These measures are meant to slow down the garment's aging process and to preserve it as much as possible. In her journal entry for 15 December 1875, the day of Princess Marie of Edinburgh's christening, Queen Victoria said of the dress' condition: "The Baby was dressed in the old Christening robe, which will hardly hold together!" At that time, the dress was 34 years old.
Replica gown
The 1841 gown was last used in 2004 at the christening of Lady Louise Windsor, 163 years after its first use; Queen Elizabeth II subsequently decided it was too fragile for continued use and had the gown retired. The Queen then commissioned her personal wardrobe advisor Angela Kelly to recreate the original gown. Craftsmen from both the United Kingdom and Italy were involved in the project, so as to ensure that the new gown would be as similar to the original as possible.The replica gown was first used on 19 April 2008 at James, Viscount Severn's christening, and has been in use ever since. The gown's most recent use was the christening of Archie Mountbatten-Windsor in July 2019.
Denmark
The Dåbskjole was first used in 1870 for the christening of Christian X of Denmark. Three kings and two queens have been baptised in this gown:| Child christened | Life dates | Date and place of christening | Parents |
| Prince Christian of Denmark | — 20 April 1947 | — Christiansborg Palace | — and — Princess Lovisa of Sweden and Norway |
| Prince Carl of Denmark | — 21 September 1957 | — Charlottenlund Palace | — and — Princess Lovisa of Sweden and Norway |
| Prince Frederick of Denmark | — 14 January 1972 | — Sorgenfri Palace | — and — Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Princess Margrethe of Denmark and Iceland | — The Church of Holmen, Copenhagen | — and — Princess Ingrid of Sweden | |
| Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark | — The Church of Holmen, Copenhagen | — and — Princess Ingrid of Sweden |
Queen Margrethe II's heir apparent, Crown Prince Frederik, and his heir apparent, Prince Christian, have also been baptised in the gown.
This gown is made of Brussels lace, and was bought by Crown Princess Louise in Belgium for her eldest son's christening. The gown was most recently used in 2012 for the christening of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's son Prince Vincent. Rather than wearing the traditional family gown, Prince Joachim's children have worn gowns designed by Henrik Hviid, while Princess Josephine, Prince Vincent's twin sister, wore a gown found among Queen Ingrid's belongings.
Netherlands
The doopjurk is an item of clothing used by the Dutch royal family at every christening. The original gown was commissioned by Queen Emma for the christening of her daughter Princess Wilhelmina in 1880.The Dutch gown has been worn by at least thirteen royal babies over 139 years, accounting for all monarchs since Wilhelmina and their children.
History
In the Netherlands, a christening was usually the first time a royal baby was introduced to the public. Before Wilhelmina's christening in 1880, the mother of the child was not usually present at the service. It was also rare that christenings were held outside of churches.The gown was hand sewn by Anne Maria Schelfhout-Picnot, a clothing supplier to Queen Emma who specialized in infant clothing. Made of Brussels lace, the gown is decorated with floral motifs and the Dutch royal coat of arms.
Four Dutch monarchs have been baptised in this gown:
| Child christened | Life dates | Date and place of christening | Parents |
| Princess Wilhelmina of the Netherlands | — 28 November 1962 | — The Hague | — and — Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont |
| Princess Juliana of the Netherlands | — 20 March 2004 | — Het Loo Palace | — and — Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin |
| Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands | — Great Church, The Hague | — and — Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld | |
| Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands | — Great Church, The Hague | — and — Claus van Amsberg |
King Willem-Alexander's heir apparent, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, and his other two daughters, Princess Alexia and Princess Ariane, have also been baptised in this gown. The gown was most recently used at the christening of Princess Ariane in 2007.
The extended royal family
For other members of the Dutch royal house, such as Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and her family, christenings are private occasions, and most have taken place in the chapel of Het Loo Palace. It is also tradition that the baptism is conducted by the minister who officiated at the child's parents' wedding.Spain
The faldón de cristianar, is the gown used by the Spanish royal family. It was first commissioned in 1938 by the then-exiled Infante Juan and Infanta María de las Mercedes of Spain for their son, Infante Juan Carlos.This gown is made of beige linen, with satin ribbons and hand-embroidered lace.
History
The gown was first used for the christening of Juan Carlos I in 1938. At this time, the Spanish royal family were in exile in Rome during the Civil War, whilst Spain was under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The family were later permitted to return before Juan Carlos' installation as King of Spain, and the first use of the gown in Spain was for the christening of Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo in 1963.Two Spanish monarchs have been christened in this gown:
| Child christened | Life dates | Date and place of christening | Parents |
| Infante Juan Carlos of Spain | — Rome, Italy | — and — Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies | |
| Infante Felipe of Spain | — Palace of Zarzuela, Madrid | — and — Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark |
The other members of the royal family baptised in this gown are:
- 1939: Infanta Margarita of Spain
- 1941: Infante Alfonso of Spain
- 1963: Infanta Elena of Spain
- 1965: Infanta Cristina of Spain
- 1998: Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón
- 1999: Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón
- 2000: Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón
- 2001: Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón
- 2002: Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón
- 2005: Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón
- 2006: Infanta Leonor of Spain, current heiress presumptive to the throne
- 2007: Infanta Sofía of Spain
Sweden
At Princess Margaretha's christening in 1935, her parents, The Duke and Duchess of Västerbotten, commissioned a cream-coloured cape and cap to be added to the gown. All the names and dates of the baptisms the gown has been used for since then have been embroidered into the cape.
One king and one queen have been christened in this gown:
| Child christened | Life dates | Date and place of christening | Parents |
| Princess Ingrid of Sweden | — 7 November 2000 | — Slottskyrkan, Stockholm | — and — Princess Margaret of Connaught |
| Prince Carl Gustaf, Duke of Jämtland | — Slottskyrkan, Stockholm | — and — Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
The other royals baptised in this gown are:
- 1906: Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
- 1907: Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland
- 1909: Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland
- 1912: Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland
- 1916: Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna
- 1935: Princess Margaretha of Sweden
- 1937: Princess Birgitta of Sweden
- 1938: Princess Désirée of Sweden
- 1943: Princess Christina of Sweden
- 1977: Princess Victoria of Sweden
- 1979: Crown Prince Carl Philip
- 1982: Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
- 2012: Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland
- 2014: Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland
- 2015: Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland
- 2016, 27 May: Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne
- 2016, 11 October: Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland
- 2017: Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna
- 2018: Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge