Christening Dresses

I've read Kelly's book, The Other Side of the Coin, published in 2019. The news was quite heated at the time because she was the first royal staff member permitted to write a book while still in service. The book has everything—how the Queen tried on clothes, how many outfits she brought on state visits—but what spread the most was the tea-dyeing section.

Queen Elizabeth II, who commissioned the replica christening gown to preserve a treasured family tradition

She said when making the replica christening gown, they used Yorkshire tea for dyeing. Cold water brew, about five minutes, watching the color while brewing. She wrote "the strongest, as we all know"—that's the tone all British people use when talking about tea.

The whole thing started with Lady Louise Windsor's christening in 2004. After the ceremony, Kelly inspected the gown and found it was in terrible condition. Too many snags, after all those years of back and forth, people holding babies wearing bracelets and watches—lace can't withstand that kind of rubbing. Plus there were some stains that just wouldn't come out. She told the Queen this one probably wouldn't make it to the next time.

That gown was made in 1841, commissioned by Victoria. She had just had her first child and wanted to make a christening gown to match her wedding dress. The wedding dress used Honiton lace, so the gown used Honiton lace too. The person who made the gown was Janet Sutherland, from Falkirk, Scotland. Her family was in mining, then somehow she ended up in the royal household as an embroiderer.

Queen Victoria, who commissioned the original christening gown in 1841

Honiton lace, the delicate material used in both Victoria's wedding dress and the christening gown

Victoria herself complained in 1875 that the gown was falling apart. She wrote in her diary "The Baby was dressed in the old Christening robe, which will hardly hold together!" That was only 34 years of use. Then it went on for another hundred-plus years. 62 royal babies wore it, five of whom later became kings or queens. Charles wore it. William wore it. Harry wore it too.

After Kelly told the Queen the gown wasn't going to make it, the Queen asked her to make a new one.

A simple request from the monarch set in motion one of the most delicate restoration projects in royal history.

Kelly took the original to Italy. There were workshops there that specialized in making this kind of old-style lace—she needed them to look at the stitching to replicate it. She wrapped the gown in tissue paper, put it in her handbag, and just took it on the plane like that. The book doesn't say which year specifically, probably 2005 or 2006.

Traditional Italian lace-making techniques, similar to those used in creating the replica gown

After returning, she and another seamstress, Barbara Buckfield, started working on it. The lace was bought from Italy, the satin was Italian too. Just the skirt required three meters of lace. All hand-sewn, took nine months. The new gown was made slightly larger than the original—Kelly said babies nowadays are bigger than babies in 1841.

First use was April 19, 2008. James, Viscount Severn, Prince Edward's son. At the small chapel in Windsor Castle. Later George wore it, Charlotte wore it, Louis wore it, Archie wore it too.

The original is now kept in the Royal Collection. 163 years—finally retired.

Windsor Castle, where the replica christening gown made its debut in April 2008

From Queen Victoria's firstborn to the great-grandchildren of Elizabeth II—one gown, one tradition, now carried forward by skilled hands and Yorkshire tea.