British royal funeral dress code

The attire for the British royal grieving event has changed but is still influenced by Victorian times.
The Queen has avoided the usual garish outfits and has worn all black during mourning for her husband, Prince Philip. In addition, all members of the royal family must follow a strict dress code when the Duke of Edinburgh is laid to rest on April 17. CNN .

According to a Buckingham Palace spokesman, women will wear black knee-length dresses and hats. Meanwhile, men wear black coats with medals. In 1982, photos of Princess Diana at the funeral of Princess of Monaco – Grace Kelly – showed her wearing a full-face hat, a long-sleeved black dress with a collar and a heart necklace. At that time, her choice was highly appreciated because it was suitable for the situation and still showed the inherent style. The dress code for royal funerals has long been a symbol of grief and nobility. Photo: Anwar Hussein, Mirrorpix. The color of grief Black has long been the color of choice for mourning. It was associated with grief in the 19th century. By this time in Europe and America, the regulations on mourning dress were firmly in place, especially for women. It is fueled by the proliferation of women’s publications as well as more affordable clothing. Harper’s Bazaar advised readers to aim for “nunnish simplicity” in 1868. Even the modern department store was born out of the fledgling funeral industry. Around the 1840s, Kate Strasdin – British historian and fashion curator – said: “Shops sprung up in London (England) and Paris (France) to cater to everyone. In which, you have can buy everything from stationery to funeral jewelry.” Around the 1840s, mourning dresses were created in a variety of styles. Photo: De Agostini Editorial. For a short time in 1938, after the death of her grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, black fell out of favor at funerals. One photo shows the queen mother wearing a white dress designed by Norman Hartnell to honor the passing of her mother. Influence from Queen Victoria “No one has influenced mourning more than Queen Victoria. After the sudden death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861, she expressed her sadness by wearing black every day for four decades. until his death” CNN comment. According to Strasdin, it was Victoria who helped codify the nuances of grieving fashion and maintain the image of “permanent widow”. In Victorian times, even the really small details of a dress tell what stage of the funeral you’re in. It symbolizes wealth and status by proving you can buy a mourning wardrobe as well as understanding the rules. The dress was worn by Queen Victoria after 33 years of her husband’s death. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. For a year, widows must wear mourning attire made of matte black crepe fabric. As the pain fades, colors and other fabrics change as well. During the last 6 months of the 2.5-year period, “semi-mourning” clothing can be worn in white, gray, pale yellow or shades of lilac or lavender. After going through a period of grief for many years, Queen Victoria persisted in wearing black mourning for the rest of her life. One of Victoria’s dresses after 33 years of her husband’s death was a sombre black crepe with a simple hemline. Strasdin noted that Victoria’s dark dressing style was unpopular with some family members. Her daughter-in-law – Queen Alexandra – marked a change, loosening restrictions when Queen Victoria died. Alexandra opted for semi-mourning shimmering gowns of mauve silk chiffon and sequins, as well as pale yellow or gray. “She knew that the public was really struggling with the queen’s constant mourning. So Queen Alexandra instituted half-mourning for the rest of her life,” Strasdin said. Over the decades, the influence of Queen Victoria’s mourning dress is still present in modern royal periods. It ranges from austere colors to strict rules. Queen Alexandra purposefully loosened the rigid rules for mourning attire under Victoria. Photo: AFP.