Prince Harry on January 21, 2026
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The Gist
A royal christening gown worn by 62 royal babies from 1841 to 2004 is going on display for the first time ever.
Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and many other royals wore the robe.
It is going on display from April to October at Buckingham Palace.
In a royal first, Queen Elizabeth’s 185-year-old christening gown will soon go on display at Buckingham Palace. The gown was made for Princess Victoria—Queen Victoria’s eldest child—for her christening in 1841 and was worn by 62 royal babies, passed down through generations with an instruction to wash it in “natural spring water,” according to The Telegraph. The late Queen even wrote a handwritten note listing members of her family known to have worn the gown.
Queen Elizabeth on May 23, 2019
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The sentimental item will go on display in April as part of the centenary exhibition “Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style” at the King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace. Had she lived, Queen Elizabeth would have turned 100 years old this year on April 21. She died at 96 years old on September 8, 2022.
“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,” said Carolien de Guitaut, the exhibition’s creator. “As the earliest piece of clothing worn by the Queen and by so many other 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.”
Princess Elizabeth’s christening in 1926
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The robe is one of about 200 items from the late Queen’s fashion archive that will go on display beginning on April 10, the largest exhibition of her clothing ever staged, The Telegraph reported. The gown stopped being worn in 2004 and a replica was made by Queen Elizabeth’s dressmaker Angela Kelly; the first royal baby to wear the replica was James, Viscount Severn, the son of Prince Edward and Sophie, then Countess of Wessex, when he was christened in 2008.
Prince Charles at his christening in 1948
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The original christening robe set to go on display has had 100 hours of conservation treatment by Cecilia Oliver, the textile conservator for the Royal Collection Trust. “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,” Oliver said.
Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Prince William at William’s 1982 christening
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Members of the royal family at Prince Harry’s 1984 christening
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“However, after 185 years and 62 christenings, it was in need of conservation,” she added. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work on such a special historic garment.”
In addition to the late Queen, King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and a host of other royal babies wore the original robe before its retirement 22 years ago. The exhibition will be on display from April until October 18 of this year.
Read the original article on InStyle