Royal Christening Gowns


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Blog Real

Blog Real

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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 (a replica of the one used for 163 years) has been in use since 2008. The Spanish gown has been in use for 81 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_christening_gown
The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Flashback Friday: Royal Christening Gowns
 
The christening gown of Prince Victor Emmanuel of Italy in 1937
 
I want to know information about the baptism dresses of royal families in Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania.

CyrilVladisla said:
The christening gown of Prince Victor Emmanuel of Italy in 1937
Click to expand...

Is the dress the same as Princess Victoria of Savoy's christening?

https://www.corriere.it/Media/Foto/2004/05_Maggio/30/fdg/BATTESIM.jpg

The current dress of the Royal Family of Belgium was worn for the first time by Princess Elisabeth, the eldest daughter of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. It was later used by his three brothers Gabriel, Emmanuel and Eleonore.
https://c026204.cdn.sapo.io/1/c0262...2137284_3220464075685923984_n (1).jpg?size=xl

Charles' christening dress had already been worn by Grand Duke Henri and his brothers, Princess Marie-Astrid and Princes Jean and Guillaume.
https://c026204.cdn.sapo.io/1/c0262...577cc5b0d1e24912f0a3eaeddfd6d (1).jpg?size=xl
 
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There are also differences in presentation gowns and christening gowns.

Presentation of the current Princess of Orange - gown 1: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/binar...fbeeldingen/onderwerpen/geboorte/geboorte.jpg

Official picture with the current Princess of Orange - gown 2:
https://kleineroyals.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/71cc4bab-bc68-4155-ae4b-ec4da62fa028-jpg.jpg

Christening of the current Princess of Orange - gown 3: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/binar...t-afbeeldingen/onderwerpen/geboorte/doop.jpeg
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
There are also differences in presentation gowns and christening gowns.

Presentation of the current Princess of Orange - gown 1: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/binar...fbeeldingen/onderwerpen/geboorte/geboorte.jpg

Official picture with the current Princess of Orange - gown 2:
https://kleineroyals.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/71cc4bab-bc68-4155-ae4b-ec4da62fa028-jpg.jpg

Christening of the current Princess of Orange - gown 3: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/binar...t-afbeeldingen/onderwerpen/geboorte/doop.jpeg
Click to expand...



What’s the difference between a presentation and a christening? I know what a christening is, but what’s a presentation?
 
sarahedwards2 said:
What’s the difference between a presentation and a christening? I know what a christening is, but what’s a presentation?
Click to expand...

The first 'presentation' - which took place for each of the three princesses - was on the day of birth (or the day after); so the then crown prince introduced his first/second/third daughter to the world almost as soon as they were born.

The second picture is an official picture that was released a little while later (again in a big white baby gown); and the third is the actual christening. All are similar type gowns but for different occasions.

The 'introduction' in such a gown seems to be a Dutch tradition, see for example this picture of prince Claus with his eldest son prince Willem-Alexander; the official photograph and his christening.

And the generation before that: introduction (scroll down to final picture), official photo vs christening.
 
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Is their any Historically used Christening Gown for the Belgian Royals as their is In the rest of reigning families?
 
Charles fits perfectly into his baptismal gown, which kind of surprises me given that he is 4 months old and a rather robust looking infant.

Henri and his siblings were probably only a couple of weeks old when they wore it, if even that.
 
Royal Dresses of the Baptisms of the Royal Family of Greece:

https://ca.hellomagazine.com/images...nterpolation=lanczos-normal&downsize=0.75xw:*

https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...ing-of-princess-alexia-of-picture-id158072873

https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...-carlos-morales-quintanas-picture-id158072864

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ee/53/36/ee53362ace05abcf7336b4bc4e0de3f0.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/4153/5089226433_5ab12068ac_z.jpg

https://royalwatcherblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/202.png

https://royalwatcherblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/10.png

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2BER130/q...ing-london-england-10th-july-1986-2BER130.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PGRTyonQ...HQ/s1600/7eb78e9729951a9d85e609a858edac95.jpg

Tsarevich Alexei’s Romanov christening gown
https://www.theromanovfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/310.jpg
 
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For the christening of the Royal twins of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark there were two christening gowns.
 
CyrilVladisla said:
For the christening of the Royal twins of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine of Denmark there were two christening gowns.
Click to expand...

Yes. Princess Josephine's dress had belonged to Queen Ingrid.
Prince Vincent's dress was the traditional dress worn at the baptisms of the Royal Family of Denmark.
 
Blog Real said:
Yes. Princess Josephine's dress had belonged to Queen Ingrid.
Prince Vincent's dress was the traditional dress worn at the baptisms of the Royal Family of Denmark.
Click to expand...

Therefore Princess Josephine's older sister Princess Isabella wore the traditional christening gown of the Royal Family of Denmark. Is this correct?
 
CyrilVladisla said:
Therefore Princess Josephine's older sister Princess Isabella wore the traditional christening gown of the Royal Family of Denmark. Is this correct?
Click to expand...

Yes correct.

Dress of the christening of the Royal Family of Italy
https://j.gifs.com/p8WG2p.gif
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/14/e6/e514e6d41bfd2f64231cc4b386ecce94.jpg
https://ossml.altervista.org/1295_FOTOBATTESIMOEF.jpg
https://www.corriere.it/Media/Foto/2004/05_Maggio/30/fdg/BATTESIM.jpg

Is it the same dress in all four images?

Dresses of the christenings of the Royal Family of Serbia.

https://www.gettyimages.pt/detail/f...st-of-serbia-fotografia-de-notícias/105216780

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9g2sTJN7..._Zn6uhBS9WmHy0Yb3kI8WgCLcBGAs/s1600/Royal.jpg

Christening Dresses of the Portuguese Royal Family:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtQjsGGN...YHQ/s1600/belgaimage-156815953-1800x650-w.jpg

https://fotos.web.sapo.io/i/Bd5157a85/16544831_Z4iyq.jpeg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cL7bpPD7...h640/1013105_635998293095422_1030758723_n.jpg

Dress of the christening of the Royal Family of Romania:

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qaYSG5zf...387_258057515683196_4968349859768271480_o.jpg

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2E97MK5/r...oto-by-david-niviereabacapresscom-2E97MK5.jpg

THE BAPTISMAL GOWN OF EMPEROR CHARLES I OF AUSTRIA:

In 1923 Empress Zita presented a Madeiran family with the royal children’s trousseau that included the white baptismal gown and headband that had been worn by the Emperor and her seven children at their christenings.

https://habsburgottoalapitvany.hu/e...ptismal-gown-of-emperor-charles-i-of-austria/

Empress Sissi’s christening gown displayed by the Empress’ great great granddaugther, Magdalena von Habsburg.

https://queenoftheamazons1837.tumbl...ress-sissis-christening-gown-displayed-by-the

In this photo we can see a dress of the baptisms of the Royal Family of Bulgaria.
The baptism of Prince Boris in 1997.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRvkyNgB...vMBQwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/Boris+baptism+1997.jpg
 
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There is an important difference between catholic/ protestant and orthodox christening.
In the first two dogmes the baby receives the onction and they just wet a little his head. He has his gown during the whole ceremony.
In orthodox baptism the baby has a full immersion into the water so they undress it totally. After this they dress it again and they but ti the baby completely new clothes offered by the Godfather/ Godmother. These clothes are normal outfits, small pants, blouse, tie, luttel dress and coatsn full ones. Nothing to do with the christening down with long skirt worn by both boys and girls.
This is a very important point. So I don't really see how the orthodox royal families could use an historical gown already used, as it has to be completely new. Maybe the Orthodox Royal families being influenced by the other RF they amended this point or the Godfather still offers new clothes bur looking like a christening gown.

Sent from my SM-A426B using The Royals Community mobile app
 
In the Prussian royal family it is tradition for babies to wear the dress that Kaiser Wilhelm II wore for his christening for their christening.

https://www.alamy.com/ak-taufe-von-...inand-von-preuen-kronprinz-image61495240.html

https://images.bstatic.de/Gt0xq3UoH...ges/60c5bf5d/29db/47d2/9909/824da14f02ad.jpeg

https://www.bunte.de/royals/royals-...-der-burg-traumhafte-taufe-ihres-prinzen.html

https://www.burg-hohenzollern.com/nachricht/items/prinzessin-emma-getauft.html

Blog Real said:
Dress of the christening of the Royal Family of Italy
https://j.gifs.com/p8WG2p.gif
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/14/e6/e514e6d41bfd2f64231cc4b386ecce94.jpg
https://ossml.altervista.org/1295_FOTOBATTESIMOEF.jpg
https://www.corriere.it/Media/Foto/2004/05_Maggio/30/fdg/BATTESIM.jpg

Is it the same dress in all four images?
Click to expand...

:previous:

Information about the Italian royal dress:

The royal dress for christenings of the Italian Royal Family has been used at least since the christening of King Victor Emmanuel III. It was also worn by Victoria of Savoia at her christening in 2004.
The information is from the website of "Hola".

https://www.hola.com/realeza/2004053024294/casasreales/noticias/casasreales/bautizo/saboya/

The exact replica of the British Royal Family's original royal christening gown.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/theme...ham-palace/the-royal-christening-gown-replica
 
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The Norwegian Royal Family has two christening dresses:

The dress in which King Olav was christened at Sandringham Castle on August 11, 1903. This was the dress in which Princess Ingrid Alexandra was christened in 2004.

But the main dress is the dress that was sewn by Crown Princess Märtha's mother, Princess Ingeborg, in 1920. All the names of the baptized children are embroidered on the dress.
Almost all of King Olav's descendants were baptized in this dress.

https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/kronprinsparet-valgte-kong-olavs-dapskjole/65959678
 
Dresses and baptismal font of each royal family:

UK:




Spain:



Denmark:




Sweden:




Norway:



Netherlands:


Belgium:


Luxembourg:

 
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The twin daughters of Archduke Otto of Austria

Getty Images

Getty Images. Find high resolution royalty-free images, editorial stock photos, vector art, video footage clips and stock music licensing at the richest image search photo library online.
www.gettyimages.com
 
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