The Royal family’s christening gown: What to know about its 178-year-old history
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Over the weekend, Queen Elizabeth’s great-granddaughter, Lena Tindall, was christened and just like her sister and cousins before her, she wore a replica of a 178-year-old royal christening gown.
Known as the Honiton Christening gown for the kind of lace used on the garment, the original was commissioned by Queen Victoria for her eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, in 1841.
According to the Royal Collection Trust, the gown was made of Spitalfields silk overlaid with handmade Honiton lace by Janet Sutherland.
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The gown was inspired by Queen Victoria’s own wedding gown, according to Town & Country.
It went on to be worn by 62 royal babies including five monarchs, the outlet reported.
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Future kings Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI all wore the gown at their christenings.
Queen Elizabeth herself also wore the Honiton gown when she was christened, still as a princess, in May 1926 at Buckingham Palace.
Her son, Prince Charles, and her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, all wore the gown as well.
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Now-14-year-old Lady Louise Windsor, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was the last royal baby to wear the original Honiton christening gown after 163 years in 2004, according to Town & Country.
Queen Elizabeth commissioned a replica and asked her personal wardrobe advisor Angela Kelly to help, the outlet reported.
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Lady Louise’s younger brother, James, was the first baby to wear the duplicate gown in 2008.
Since then, so have eight other royal babies including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Lena Tindall and her older sister, Mia.