![Ray Lawson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Ray_Lawson.jpg)
Court uniform and dress were required to be worn by those in attendance at the
royal court
A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Specifically, ''court uniform'' was worn by those holding particular offices associated with the government, the
Civil Service
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
, the Royal Household, or similar national institutions. A range of office-holders were entitled to wear it, with different grades of uniform specified for different grades of official. It is still worn today on state occasions by certain dignitaries both in the UK and abroad.
[Mansfield, Alan, ''Ceremonial Costume''. London: A & C Black, 1980]
''Court dress'', on the other hand, is a stylized form of clothing deriving from fashionable eighteenth-century wear, which was directed to be worn at court by those not entitled to a court uniform. For men, it comprised a matching
tailcoat
A tailcoat is a knee-length coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt, known as the ''tails'', with the front of the skirt cut away.
The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse riding in the Early Mode ...
and
waistcoat
A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. I ...
,
breeches
Breeches ( ) are an article of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each human leg, leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles. Formerly a standard item of Weste ...
and
stocking
Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparen ...
s,
lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
cuff
A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, an ...
s and
Cravat Cravat, cravate or cravats may refer to:
* Cravat (early), forerunner neckband of the modern necktie
* Cravat, British name for what in American English is called an ascot tie
* Cravat bandage, a triangular bandage
* Cravat (horse) (1935–1954), a ...
,
cocked hat
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...
and a sword. For women, a white or cream
evening gown
An evening gown, evening dress or gown is a long dress usually worn at formal occasions. The drop ranges from ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), tea (above the ankles), to full-length. Such gowns are typically worn with evening ...
was to be worn, together with a
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
and other specified
accoutrements
Accoutrements are the personal/individual equipment of service people such as soldiers, sailors, police and firemen and employees of some private organizations such as security guards, other than their basic uniform and weapons.In American English ...
. Male court dress is still worn today as part of the formal dress of judges and
King's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...
, and is also worn by certain
Lord Mayors, parliamentary officials, and
high sheriffs of counties. Formerly, female court dress was required wear for
debutante
A debutante, also spelled débutante, ( ; from french: débutante , "female beginner") or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and, as a new adult, is presented to society at a formal " ...
s being presented at court, but it ceased to be regularly worn after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, as afternoon presentations largely replaced evening courts.
Precise descriptions, both of court uniform and of court dress, were laid down in an official publication called ''Dress Worn at Court'',
which was published by the Lord Chamberlain's Office.
[''Dress and Insignia Worn at His Majesty's Court''. Various editions 1898-1937] The 1937 edition remains authoritative for those rare circumstances in which court uniform or court dress are still required.
Men's court dress
![Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival 2012 opening ceremony 5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Yarmouth_Old_Gaffers_Festival_2012_opening_ceremony_5.JPG)
Court dress (as distinguished from court uniform) was worn by all men not entitled to court uniform or military uniform on occasions of state where such were customarily worn. Such occasions are now rare, but formerly they included state balls, evening state parties, courts and
levées. (''Courts'' were evening occasions at which women were formally presented to the monarch; ''levées'' were morning gatherings at which men were presented). It is still worn today, to a very limited extent, in courts of law and by certain parliamentary and other office-holders; the last time it was worn by people in significant numbers was at the Coronation in 1953. It consists of a tail-coat with matching waistcoat and breeches, lace cuffs and
jabot, silk stockings, buckled shoes, cocked hat, white gloves and a sword. At one time suits of various colours were to be seen, often with gold or silver embroidery; but (as is generally the case with men's formal dress) black is now the predominant colour, and has been since the nineteenth century.
Origins and development
Peers' robes were worn over normal dress, which gradually became stylised as the court suit. It was only from the late eighteenth century that court dress became fossilised. By the early to mid eighteenth century velvet was largely confined to court dress. Court dress was obligatory in
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
for all not wearing official or lordly apparel.
During the seventeenth century, gentlemen's court dress was largely determined by two related influences, the retention of out-dated styles, producing a distinctive form of dress, and an interest in military uniform. The first produced the court suit, a coat with tails, waistcoat and knee breeches, worn with silk stockings, and a formal court sword with a cut-steel hilt and embellishments, and
bicorne
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which ...
hat. The court suit has undergone a number of changes since the eighteenth century. However, apart from changes in the cut of the sleeves and shoulders, there was little basic alteration until the third quarter of the nineteenth century.
![BLW Man's Court Coat and Waistcoat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/BLW_Man%27s_Court_Coat_and_Waistcoat.jpg)
In the eighteenth century, dress worn at court comprised gold and silver stuff,
brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...
s,
velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
s and cloth coats. They were always embroidered, and worn with waistcoats generally of a different colour- gold or silver
brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...
,
damask
Damask (; ar, دمشق) is a reversible patterned fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin ...
,
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
or
satin
A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...
, heavily
embroidered
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...
or
lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
d in silver or gold. From the 1730s at least cloth was popular for court wear. By the 1780s dress was established as dark cloth or velvet, embroidered in silk or metal, single-breasted silk waistcoat (usually white), with the fronts curved away.
The 19th century
From 1810, the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...
laid down regulations for court dress. In the nineteenth century court dress coats were commonly black, brown, dark green, purple, or blue. Breeches matched, or could be silk of a similar colour. The coat, and sometimes the breeches, were embroidered. The waistcoat was generally white satin, sometimes embroidered. These were worn with white silk stockings, black shoes with
shoe buckle
Shoe buckles are fashion accessories worn by men and women from the mid-17th century through the 18th century to the 19th century. Shoe buckles were made of a variety of materials including brass, steel, silver or silver gilt, and buckles for f ...
s, and sword. A wig-bag was found on the back of the neck. A crescent-shaped chapeau-bras, known as an opera-hat, developed in the 1760s–1770s from the three-cornered hat. In the second decade of the nineteenth century, this hat became known simply as the cocked hat. In the 1830s–1840s, the full court dress was sometimes decorated with embroidery, and sometimes not. Cloth was most general, but velvet was also used. For levées, cloth trousers were worn.
A new style of court dress, worn from the 1840s, comprised a dark, frequently black, cloth (or silk-velvet) single-breasted dress coat (
lined with black silk, except for the tail, which was white), with a stand collar. This was worn with a white satin or black silk collarless waistcoat, and white neckcloth. For levées, this was worn with matching velvet trousers with a gold lace stripe down the seam. For drawing rooms matching breeches with white silk stockings, and a white neck-cloth was worn.
In 1869, the
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...
's Department issued new regulations for gentlemen at Court. The new style of suit was described, in which the cloth coat and breeches were replaced with silk velvet. This had been permitted before, but in place of the embroidered waistcoat was a waistcoat of plain white silk. A coat for levée dress had dark coloured cloth, single-breasted, with a stand collar, and trousers of the same material and colour as the coat, both decorated with narrow gold lace on collar, cuffs and pocket flaps, similar to that worn on certain classes of the civil uniform. A gold lace loop and button were similarly worn on the hat, and a sword of the same pattern carried.
In 1898, court dress was described as black (often very dark blue) velvet, or a dark colour cloth suit (not black). The velvet version in 1898 was without gold embroidery on the coat, and the buttons were gilt, steel or plain. The waistcoat was either black velvet, or the normal white one. Trousers were of velvet. Hats were as for the cloth version, that is beaver or silk cocked hat with black silk cockade, but the loop and buttons were gilt or steel, and there was no lace. The sword was gilt or steel with silk shoulder belt. A white neckcloth was worn. When breeches were worn they were black velvet with black silk hose. Gilt or steel buckled shoes were worn. The velvet suit was all black.
The cloth coat in 1898 had embroidery on collar, cuffs and pocket flaps, specified as similar to fifth-class civil uniform, . The buttons were convex gilt with mounted crown in relief. Gold lace striped trousers (for levée dress) or white breeches, black or white silk stockings, gilt buckled shoes, beaver or silk cocked hat with black silk cockade gold lace loop and buttons, sword same as civil, suspended by a silk shoulder belt worn underneath the waistcoat, white neck cloth.
The 20th century: variations on a theme
By the time ''Dress worn at Court'' was published, in 1898, regulations for three different varieties of court dress had been laid down: 'old style velvet', 'new style velvet' and 'cloth'. The velvet suits were in black and without embroidery; the cloth court suit ("for Courts and Evening Parties") ''is'' to have embroidery, and is to be "mulberry, claret or green - ''not'' blue or black".
(Legal and judicial cloth Court suits were black.) The most notable difference between the 'old style' and 'new style' suits is that the old style coat has a curved front and is worn with a lace jabot, whereas the new style coat is cut away at the waist and is worn with a white bow tie. In this, it will be seen that the new style is closer to what is nowadays known as '
white tie
White tie, also called full evening dress or a dress suit, is the most formal in traditional evening western dress codes. For men, it consists of a black tail coat (alternatively referred to as a dress coat, usually by tailors) worn over a whit ...
' or ''white tie and tails''. This form of dress had begun to be fashionable in the nineteenth century, and was itself given official status as 'Alternative Court Dress' in 1924).
Old style velvet court dress
In 1908, the old-style court suit was of velvet, with a cut-back frock style, single-breasted with seven buttons and button-holes, but the coat was actually fastened edge-to-edge on the chest by a hook and eye. There were six buttons at the back, two extra halfway down the tails. A black silk flash or wig-bag, and lace frill and ruffles were worn. A white satin or black silk waistcoat was worn, which was no longer to be embroidered (and has four small buttons). The breeches were black velvet, with three steel buttons and steel buckles at the knee. Black silk stockings, black patent leather shoes with steel buckles, black silk or beaver hat, steel hilt sword and black scabbard (belt under waistcoat) and white gloves completed the dress. At levées velvet trousers with patent leather military boots were worn.
In 1912, the old style pointed pocket flaps were to have three buttons (one under each point). The waistcoat has pointed pocket flaps and three buttons under each, skirted fronts. The sword is of sling type, with slings instead of a frog on the black silk waistband.
New style velvet court dress
By 1908, the new style court dress was described as being a single-breasted black silk-velvet coat, worn open but with six buttons, a stand collar, gauntlet cuffs, four buttons at back, two at centre waist, two at bottom of tails. It was lined with black silk, except for the tail, which was white. Buttons were cut steel. The waistcoat was white satin or black silk, breeches were black velvet, with three steel buttons and steel buckles at the knee. Black silk stockings, black patent leather shoes with steel buckles, black silk or beaver hat, steel hilt sword and black scabbard, belt under waistcoat, white gloves, and white bow tie completed the dress. At levées velvet trousers with patent leather military boots were worn.
The regulations for 1912 were substantially the same as in 1908. The only difference for the new style was that the pocket flaps were to have the three points on the waist seams, the coat lined with white silk, tails with black lining, trousers were now not allowed at levées. The hat has a steel loop as a black silk cockade or rosette, sword belt a black silk waist belt under the waistcoat, with blue velvet frog. At levées one could wear with the velvet or cloth dress a black or very dark Inverness cape, or a long full dark overcoat.
In 1937, the final edition of ''Dress Worn at Court'' was published. The new style velvet court dress included a white satin waistcoat (not white corded silk or marcella), or a new optional black velvet waistcoat. The cocked hat is described as "beaver", silk being omitted. The shirt was to be as worn with evening dress, soft front with stiff white cuffs. Trousers were still prohibited.
Cloth court dress
In 1908, a dark cloth suit was worn for courts and evening parties. This was mulberry, claret, or green, but not black or blue. It was single-breasted, worn open but with six gilt buttons and dummy button-holes. There was a stand collar, gauntlet cuffs, two buttons at back centre waist, and two at bottom of tails. Gold embroidery was on the collar, cuffs, and pocket flaps as for the 5th class. There were matching breeches, gilt buckled, a white corded silk or marcella waistcoat with four small gilt buttons. Stockings, tie, gloves, shoes, and hat were as for the new style, but gilt buckles were added to the shoes, and a gold loop on the hat. The sword was "Court Dress with gilt hilt", in a black scabbard gilt mounted, with gold knot. At levées, trousers were worn instead of breeches, to match the coat, and patent leather military boots.
In 1912 the cloth court dress is still described as embroidered on the collar, cuffs and pocket flaps as for 5th class. Buttons are gilt, convex, mounted with the imperial crown. Matching cloth trousers with rows gold lace. By 1937 the cloth coat was decorated with gold embroidery similar to the edge of a Privy Counsellor's uniform coat, .
Alternative court dress
![ImperialConference](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/ImperialConference.jpg)
In 1924 white-tie evening dress was given official status as an 'Alternative Court Dress' for use on State occasions. (from 1914 to the 1920s, an unofficial style had been used). It comprised black dress coat with silk
facings
A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusba ...
(or
revers
A revers or rever is a part of a garment that is reversed to display the lining or facing outside. The word is borrowed from French ''revers'', which is reflected in the final ''s'' being silent.
The most common form of revers is the lapel. The ...
), white marcella (or the same material as coat) waistcoat, black cloth knee-breeches with three buttons and black strap fastening with black buckle, black silk stockings with plain black court shoes with bows, and white gloves. This was worn with ordinary dress shirt, collar, white bow tie, and opera hat.
This was very similar to the "frock dress" introduced in the mid nineteenth century, and worn at dinners and evening parties when uniform was not worn: frock dress in 1883 comprised dress coat and waistcoat, breeches or pantaloons, white cravat. In 1908 this was described as being dress coat with silk facings, black or white waistcoat, black cloth or stockinette breeches, with three black buttons and buckle at knee, pantaloons not now being allowed. This was worn with plain court shoes with bows, not buckles, and the cravat was replaced by a white tie. A folding cocked hat in corded silk with a black loop and rosette and white gloves finished the dress, which was used for dinners, balls, and receptions. In 1912, the frock dress was the same, except that the hat was now an opera hat. In 1929 and 1937, this was substantially the same, except that a stiff evening dress shirt and a winged collar were added, and opera hat omitted.
In the Army and Navy Stores catalogue of 1939 this dress is described as the "new pattern cloth (alternative) Evening Dress".
Official sanction of 'Frock dress' as an alternative to Court dress coincided with the election of Britain's first
Labour government (George V is said to have shown sensitivity to his new government in sartorial matters).
Similarly, for the
1937 Coronation, gentlemen were firmly instructed to wear 'full-dress uniform or full velvet Court dress'; but a note in the
Gazette
A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper.
In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...
reveals that 'Members of the House of Commons may obtain particulars of alternative dress from the Speaker's Secretary' and likewise 'representatives of trade unions and friendly societies may apply for information as to their dress to the Earl Marshal's office'. By the time of the
1953 Coronation, those in procession in the
Abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
were instructed to wear full-dress uniform or Court dress; but for other gentlemen a range of dress was permitted: 'one of the forms of Court Dress as laid down in the Lord Chamberlain's Regulations for Dress at Court, or evening dress with knee breeches or trousers, or
morning dress
Morning dress, also known as formal day dress, is the Formal attire, formal Western dress code for day attire, consisting chiefly of, for men, a morning coat, waistcoat, and formal trousers, and an appropriate gown for women. Men may also wear ...
, or dark
lounge suit
A suit, lounge suit, or business suit is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit is similar, but with a matching skirt instead of tr ...
s.' On both occasions, 'Oriental dress' was also permitted, for those for whom it was 'the usual Ceremonial Costume'.
The 21st century
In the twenty-first century old and new style velvet Court Dress has become the distinctive garb of High Sheriffs (see the external images in the links on the right). Male members of the Royal Family continue to wear 'Alternative Court Dress' (with knee-breeches) for the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace. Varieties of court dress continue to be worn by senior legal professionals, and by certain parliamentary and other officials.
Legal and other variations
Legal court dress
![Christopher Pitchford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Christopher_Pitchford.JPG)
There were slight variations in the velvet and cloth court suits in the case of the judiciary and the legal profession in 1937.
This is worn still by legal persons, mostly by
King's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister or ...
and judges of the superior courts – when sitting in the divisional court and administrative court of the
King's Bench division of the
High Court, and in the
Court of Appeal Criminal Division – and by some parliamentary officials. It is a single-breasted cloth or velvet coat, of cut-away front style, with seven buttons although actually fastened edge-to-edge on the chest by a hook and eye arrangement. There are six buttons at the back, with two extra halfway down the tails. The coat is worn with a waistcoat, breeches to match the coat, black silk stockings, buckled shoes, sling sword, cocked hat, lace frill, ruffles, black silk flash (or wig-bag). They are worn with military boots and trousers for levées. For daily wear, only the coat and waistcoat are worn, with trousers and shoes.
Full dress for the Lord Chancellor and judges comprises black cloth or velvet court coat, waistcoat, black cloth knee breeches, black silk stockings, shoes and steel buckles, plain bands, white gloves, and a beaver hat. The cloth dress is worn only on such occasions as when attending St Paul's Cathedral in state, the
Lord Chancellor's Breakfast, in court on the first day of
Michaelmas Law Term, and at the House of Lords when His Majesty The King is personally present, and is worn with robes, wigs and lace bands. On other state and semi-state occasions, ordinary black velvet court dress of the legal style should be worn.
Parliamentary use
![UgbanaOyetAstleyParkChorley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/UgbanaOyetAstleyParkChorley.jpg)
The Clerks of both Houses wear short wig and gown over a legal cloth court suit, worn with trousers and white bow tie. At the State Opening and on similar occasions the
Clerk of the Parliaments
The Clerk of the Parliaments is the chief Clerk (legislature), clerk of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The position has existed since at least 1315, and duties include preparing the minutes of Lords proceedings, advi ...
and the
Clerk of the House of Commons
The Clerk of the House of Commons is the chief executive of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 of the House of Commons of England.
The formal name for the position held by the Clerk of the House of Comm ...
wear the same dress but with knee-breeches and lace jabot & cuffs. The
Clerk of the Crown
A Clerk of the Crown is a clerk who usually works for a monarch or such royal head of state. The term is mostly used in the United Kingdom to refer to the office of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, though the office has undergone different title ...
and their Deputy wear the same dress in most respects, but with bands rather than bow tie.
The
Serjeants at Arms
A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
wear a cloth court suit of legal pattern with knee-breeches, white gloves and silver-hilted sword. On State occasions they wear lace and a Collar of Esses also.
Black Rod is similarly dressed (with, on State occasions, his chain of office rather than the collar) but with black-hilted sword, black leather gloves and black shoe-buckles (rather than silver).
Attendants or messengers in both Houses have, since the nineteenth century, worn a black evening dress suit, black waistcoat, white tie and a silver badge suspended from the neck.
In the House of Commons, the
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
traditionally wore a black silk gown over a black cloth court suit of legal pattern, knee-breeches, white bands, full-bottomed wig, and carried a three-cornered hat. On state occasions, as when attending on
His Majesty together with the House of Commons (such as for the
State Opening of Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes place ...
or the presentation of an Address) the Speaker traditionally wore a state robe of black satin damask with gold lace guarding over a black velvet court suit, lace jabot, lace ruffles or cuffs, full-bottomed wig and white gloves, with hat.
For mourning, the Speaker has traditionally worn a black paramatta gown, white 'weepers' (broad linen wraps) on coat cuffs, broad-hemmed frill and ruffles instead of lace, lawn bands, and black buckles on shoes and knees replacing the bright metal ones. This was worn by Sir
Lindsay Hoyle
Sir Lindsay Harvey Hoyle (born 10 June 1957)'HOYLE, Hon. Lindsay (Harvey)', Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2012 ; online edn, Nov 201 Retrieved 31 December 20 ...
in 2022 when the House of Commons sat in the aftermath of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Others in Court dress wear broad-hemmed frill and ruffles, black buckles and gloves and a black-mounted sword.
The Speaker's Secretary and his train-bearer wear a black cloth court suit of legal pattern, with lace frill and ruffles, steel buckles on breeches and shoes, cocked hat and sword.
The formal dress of the Lord Chancellor was and is almost identical to that traditionally worn by the Speaker of the House of Commons, as is that of the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords.
Clerical court dress
At courts and levées, bishops were directed to wear
rochet and chimere; other clergy (and
nonconformist
Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to:
Culture and society
* Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior
*Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity
** ...
ministers) were to wear
cassock
The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy and male religious of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in addition to some clergy in certain Protestant denomi ...
,
gown
A gown, from the Saxon word, ''gunna'', is a usually loose outer garment from knee-to-full-length worn by men and women in Europe from the Early Middle Ages to the 17th century, and continuing today in certain professions; later, the term ''gown ...
and
scarf
A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diff ...
. For 'state or full dress dinners, and evening state parties', however, they were to wear a cloth court coat with knee-breeches and buckled shoes.
For bishops the coat was purple (and was worn with a half-cassock called an 'apron'). For other clergy, the court coat was black; (deans and archdeacons wore aprons, junior clergy wore a clerical waistcoat). Archbishops of Canterbury continued to wear this form of dress, at state banquets, into the twenty-first century.
Scottish dress
![Eben William Robertson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Eben_William_Robertson.jpg)
In 1898, a special dress with sword and dirk was allowed for Chiefs and petty Chiefs as a military uniform at court. By 1908, this was extended to Highland gentlemen, and comprised:
kilt
A kilt ( gd, fèileadh ; Irish: ''féileadh'') is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Hi ...
,
sporran, doublet of cloth or velvet, Highland belts,
claymore,
dirk
A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...
, long
plaid.
By 1912, the qualification was absent and the description was more detailed. It was to comprise:
* black silk velvet full dress doublet
* set of silver Celtic or crested buttons
* superfine tartan full dress kilt
* short
trews
Trews (Truis or Triubhas) are men's clothing for the legs and lower abdomen, a traditional form of tartan trousers from Scottish Highland dress. Trews could be trimmed with leather, usually buckskin, especially on the inner leg to prevent w ...
(if desired)
* full dress tartan hose
* full dress-length shoulder plaid
* full dress white hair sporran, silver-mounted and tassels
* dirk with knife and fork
*
sgian dubh
The ( ; ) – also anglicized as skene – is a small, single-edged knife ( gd, sgian) worn as part of traditional Scottish Highland dress along with the kilt. Originally used for eating and preparing fruit, meat, and cutting bread and cheese, ...
(sock knife)
* patent leather shoulder belt, silver-mounted
* waist belt with silver clasp
* silver mounted shoulder brooch
* silver kilt pin
* lace
jabot
* one pair buckles for instep of shoes
* one pair small ankle buckles for shoes
* full dress brogues
* Highland claymore.
*
Glengarry
The Glengarry bonnet is a traditional Scots cap made of thick-milled woollen material, decorated with a toorie on top, frequently a rosette cockade on the left side, and ribbons hanging behind. It is normally worn as part of Scottish military ...
or
Balmoral, crest or ornament
* Cross belt of leather (or metal mounted) for carrying the sword worn over the right shoulder.
By 1937, the shoulder plaid became shoulder plaid or belted plaid. Dress sporran could be hair, fur, or skin, any pattern. Footwear was dress shoes and brogues. Highland Bonnet, feather or feathers if entitled. Highland pistols and powder horn may be worn.
Dress Doublet- of velvet, cloth or tartan. Waistcoat
f doublet is intended to be worn unbuttoned
F, or f, is the sixth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet#Let ...
velvet, cloth, tartan; dress kilt; dress hose; plaid either shoulder or belted; shoulder brooch for plaid; dress sporran and strap or chain (sealskin, silver furnished top)- can be hair, fur, skin; Highland basket-hilt sword, black leather or metal mounted scabbard; sgian dubh (sock knife); dirk; kilt pin; jabot, lace (lace, silk, satin or lawn stock); cuffs, lace; Ghillie Brogue shoes (leather uppers, soles and tassels) or Dress shoes (with buckle); Highland Bonnet; belt and buckle (leather and lined); flashes; Highland pistols and powder horn may be worn; gloves are not worn.
Women's court dress
![StateLibQld 1 109648 Agnes Melanie Dickson as a debutante, ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/StateLibQld_1_109648_Agnes_Melanie_Dickson_as_a_debutante%2C_ca._1890.jpg)
For women (as for men) court dress originally meant the best and most opulent style of clothing, as worn in fashionable and royal society. A distinctive style can be seen in the dresses and accoutrements worn by courtly ladies in the
Elizabethan
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
period, and likewise in subsequent reigns. The
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
put a stop to Court activity – and to opulent display in general; but with the
Restoration
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
* Restoration ecology
...
, the opportunities afforded by attendance at the royal court was taken up all the more zealously by young women of status or aspiration (and their families).
![1760s Court Dress](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/1760s_Court_Dress.JPG)
Fashion (and wealth) continued to dictate what was worn on these occasions; but in the late eighteenth century, a degree of fossilisation began to set in, with the result that women in attendance at royal courts were still, in the early nineteenth century, to be seen in garments with side-hoops, reminiscent of forms of dress fashionable in the mid-1700s. In the 1820s, however,
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
made known his opinion that obsolete side-hooped dresses should no longer be worn; and thereafter
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
began to have more of an impact on the style of dress worn by women at court.
![Viscountess Hayashi, later Countess Hayashi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Viscountess_Hayashi%2C_later_Countess_Hayashi.jpg)
Courtly garments, then, can be seen reflecting something of the contemporary fashions of high society, from the expansive skirts and
crinoline
A crinoline is a stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a woman's skirt, popular at various times since the mid-19th century. Originally, crinoline described a stiff fabric made of horsehair ("crin") and cotton or linen which was ...
s of the
1850-60s, through the posterior
bustle
A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
s of the
1870s & 80s, right through to the straight gowns of the
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png, From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Seán Hogan during the Irish War of Independence; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, whic ...
.
![Fashion Plate (Court Dress) LACMA M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Fashion_Plate_%28Court_Dress%29_LACMA_M.86.266.329.jpg)
Some details of court dress, though, were more or less invariable (and these set court dress apart from more ordinary forms of evening or day wear in any given period). Moreover, from the late eighteenth century, what was worn at court had been subject to a degree of regulation, and this helped standardise certain features. Most noticeably, court dresses (regardless of style) are expected to have a sizeable
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
(usually separate from the dress itself). Trains were required to be a minimum of three yards in length;
in the late 1800s a length of fifteen yards was not unusual. The dress itself was expected to be long and low-cut (again, whatever the style). The prescribed headwear was also distinctive: ostrich feathers (usually three in number) were to be worn (to be 'mounted as a Prince of Wales plume', according to the instructions given in ''Dress worn at Court'') - a style which had its origin in fashionable eighteenth-century daywear. In addition, a short veil was worn, and/or lace
lappets
A lappet is a decorative flap, fold or hanging part of a headdress or garment. Lappets were a feature of women's headgear until the early twentieth century, and are still a feature of religious garments. Examples of lappets are to be found on the ...
(first seen in the 1660s, and still being worn by some ladies in the 1930s).
By the end of the nineteenth century, the main occasions at which court dresses were worn were those at which debutantes were presented to the Queen. In the twentieth century (especially following the First World War), occasions for full court dress diminished. It was still required wear for ladies attending the 1937 coronation (albeit without trains and veils - and Peeresses were expected to wear tiaras rather than feathers); but in 1953, ladies attending the coronation were directed to wear 'evening dresses or afternoon dresses, with a light veiling falling from the back of the head. Tiaras may be worn ... no hats'. Court presentations continued, except during wartime, but they gradually became less opulent. In the post-war 1940s evening court events were replaced with afternoon presentations (for which afternoon dresses were worn); and with that, the donning of full court dress ceased to be a rite of passage for young women taking their place in society.
Court uniform
![Portrait of Sir Walter Townley (1863-1945)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Portrait_of_Sir_Walter_Townley_%281863-1945%29.jpg)
Court uniform came into being in the early nineteenth century. Two orders of dress are prescribed: full dress and levée dress. The full-dress uniform consists of a dark blue high-collar jacket with gold oak-leaf embroidery on the chest, cuffs and long tails; white breeches and stockings; and a
cocked hat
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...
edged with
ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
feathers.
Levée
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually earthen and that often runs parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlin ...
dress is less ornate: the jacket is comparatively plain (with embroidery on the cuffs, collar and pockets only), and is worn with dark blue gold-striped trousers instead of breeches. On occasions, trousers are worn with the full-dress jacket; this is sometimes referred to as 'half-dress'. Different grades (or 'classes') of uniform were stipulated for different grades of official; these are described in detail below.
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, court uniform was formerly worn by various ranks within the
Civil
Civil may refer to:
*Civic virtue, or civility
*Civil action, or lawsuit
* Civil affairs
*Civil and political rights
*Civil disobedience
*Civil engineering
*Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism
*Civilian, someone not a membe ...
and
Diplomatic Service, by
Privy Counsellors
The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...
, and by officials of the
Royal Household (who were distinguished from other wearers of the uniform by having scarlet, rather than blue, collar and cuffs). Full dress was worn at courts, evening state parties, drawing rooms, state balls, state concerts, etc.; levée dress was worn at
levées, and other ceremonies where full dress was not worn. Neither were worn after retirement without special permission.
Origin, development, and detail of the design
![Earl of Hopetoun Vanity Fair 17 May 1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Earl_of_Hopetoun_Vanity_Fair_17_May_1900.jpg)
In 1820,
King George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
introduced a court uniform based on the
Windsor uniform
The Windsor uniform is a type of formal dress worn at Windsor Castle by male members of the British royal family (and some very senior courtiers).
History
The uniform was introduced by King George III in 1777. The full dress version, which h ...
, modified by the dress of the
Marshal of France
Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...
. It had a dark blue single-breasted tail coat (or "
coatee
A coatee was a type of tight fitting uniform coat or jacket, which was waist length at the front and had short tails behind. The coatee began to replace the long tail coat in western armies at the end of the eighteenth century, but was itself su ...
"), lined with black silk, the stand collar and gauntlet cuffs having scarlet velvet facings, gilt buttons, waistcoat, breeches or trousers. Soon only the Royal Household wore scarlet cloth facings, and all others had black velvet collar and cuffs. Later the facings, collar and cuffs became blue velvet.
Classification
![KingRoyalVisit1939](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/KingRoyalVisit1939.jpg)
Court uniforms came in five (later six) classes. Which class of uniform was worn depended on the office held by the wearer: the more senior the position, the higher the class of uniform.
In India, for example, in 1921, the Governors of
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
,
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
and
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
were entitled to wear the 1st class uniform, the President, Members, Secretary and Chief Engineer of the
Railway Board
The Ministry of Railways is a ministry in the Government of India, responsible for the country's rail transport. The ministry operates the statutory body Indian Railways, an organisation that operates as a monopoly in rail transport and is h ...
(among others) were entitled to 3rd class uniform, while
Under Secretaries to Local Governments (among others) were entitled to 5th class uniform.
The different classes were indicated by different widths of gold oak-leaf embroidery on the coatee: 1st class had , 2nd class had , 3rd class had , 4th class , and 5th class ; (these measurements related to the width of embroidery on the cuffs in both full and levée dress). On the edge of the cuffs, collar and coatee, the embroidery had a wavy edging for 1st class, and saw edge for lower classes.
Full dress and levée dress
For each class of uniform, both a 'full dress' version and a 'levée dress' version were stipulated; which was worn depended on the occasion.
In ''full dress'' the coatee's chest, back, tails back and front, collar, cuffs and pocket flaps were all decorated with gold oak-leaf embroidery. It was fastened by hooks and eyes, with dummy buttons bearing the
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom, or the royal arms for short, is the arms of dominion of the British monarch, currently King Charles III. These arms are used by the King in his official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom. Varian ...
(nine buttons up the front, showing between the two embroidered edges two at the waist behind, two at the bottom of back skirts). The coatee had white silk linings, and was worn with white breeches, white gloves, and patent leather court shoes with gilt buckles. The sword had black scabbard, gilt mountings, and sword knot of gold lace strap with bullion tassel; it was worn on a sword belt of white web, with white cloth frog.
In ''levée dress'' the coatee had the same embroidery, but only on collar, cuffs, and pocket flaps; the collar of the 1st and 2nd classes had embroidery all around the neck as on full dress, whereas that of 3rd class had front embroidery long, that of 4th class had front embroidery long, and that of 5th class a saw edge only. The coatee was fastened with practical buttons bearing the Crown onto button-holes. Blue cloth trousers were worn in place of breeches, with a gold oak lace stripe, wide for 1st and 2nd classes, for 3rd and 4th classes, and for 5th class. White gloves were again worn, while patent leather military boots replaced the buckled shoes, and the sword accessories were similar to that on full dress, but with blue cloth frog.
Separate full-dress and levee-dress coatees were only provided for the higher grades of official (those holding 1st, 2nd or 3rd class Household positions, or 1st or 2nd class Civil Service positions); lower-grade officials (those holding 4th or 5th class Household, or 3rd, 4th or 5th class Civil Service positions) were only entitled to a levée dress coatee; this was worn for both full dress and levée dress occasions (with breeches worn for full dress, trousers for levée dress).
Accoutrements
![King1938](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/King1938.jpg)
Both types of dress were worn with black beaver
cocked hat
The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...
, with black silk
cockade
A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colours which is usually worn on a hat or cap.
Eighteenth century
In the 18th and 19th centuries, coloured cockades were used in Europe to show the allegia ...
; for the 1st class it had white ostrich feather border, as well as treble gold bullion loop and tassels. The 2nd class was as above, but with double gold bullion loop and tassels. The 3rd, 4th, 5th class had black ostrich feather border, plaited gold bullion loops, and no tassels.
In addition, a scarlet lined blue cloth cloak, double breasted, black velvet collar and two rows of six buttons each, with a detachable cape, was described in 1898 for outdoor wear, with a soft cloth forage cap (military staff shape), with a blue peak and scarlet welts around the crown and gold braid on top for the Household, and gold braid without scarlet welt in the case of other officials. The cap for consular use had silver instead of gold braid. A greatcoat as an alternative to the cloak was available in 1912.
In 1908, white gloves were still mentioned in the regulations, while in 1912 they were not, and the 1937 regulation said that they are not worn.
20th-century changes
A sixth uniform, which was classified as the 1st class of civil uniform, was introduced after the First World War, that of Privy Counsellors. Thereafter, the embroidery measured for the new 1st class, for the old 1st class, and for old 2nd class; whereas the lace for old 3rd class, for the old 4th class and for the old 5th class were replaced by a standard gold lace on the cuffs (so that the collar alone became the distinguishing feature between these three classes of uniform).
The gold oak lace stripe for Privy Counsellors trousers measured , as did 1st and 2nd classes. The trouser stripes of the 3rd class remained , but that of 4th and 5th was now .
For Privy Counsellors, on both levée and full dress coatees, the embroidery had a purl edging; the cocked hat was similar to that of the 1st class, but with additional hangers on the gold tassels.
From the early 20th century the Privy Counsellors, 1st and 2nd classes' levée coatee embroidery was extended to include the centre back waist as well as the collar, cuffs and pocket flaps.
Cabinet ministers, being Privy Counsellors, are entitled to wear the 1st Class civil uniform and continue to be so entitled after they leave Cabinet.
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
ordered Privy Counsellors to wear civil uniform at
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
meetings, but this requirement has lapsed. In lieu of Civil Uniform or Court Dress, alternative dress may be worn by gentlemen (except for Household, Diplomatics and Consular Services) on all occasions when uniform or court dress is prescribed.
21st century
By the end of the 20th century the use of this uniform had greatly diminished. Within
Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
His Majesty's Diplomatic Service (HMDS) is the diplomatic service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dealing with Foreign policy, foreign affairs and representing British interests overseas, as opposed to the Civil Servi ...
ambassadors retain a simplified version for wear on such occasions as the presentation of credentials and then only when accredited to certain countries. Until about 1965 Foreign Office Regulations and Consular Instructions had required even junior foreign service officers to acquire this formal dress following completion of their probation period. The Governors of the few remaining colonial territories were notified in 2004 that the expense of providing uniforms would no longer be a recognised charge against the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...
. In the UK, Court uniform is still worn by a few select officials on formal State occasions (such as at the State Opening of Parliament); but the last time it was worn by people in significant numbers was at the
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The coronation of Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive ...
.
Breeches, stockings and court shoes are now confined to coronations so trousers of the levee version are worn instead with full dress.
Great Officers of State
![7th Marquis of Cholmondeley color allan warren](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/7th_Marquis_of_Cholmondeley_color_allan_warren.jpg)
The
Lord Great Chamberlain
The Lord Great Chamberlain of England is the sixth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Privy Seal, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and above the Lord High Constable of England, Lord Hi ...
wears a unique form of Court uniform, his coatee being scarlet (with scarlet facings) rather than blue. The
Earl Marshal
Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the United Kingdom). He is the eig ...
's coatee is also scarlet, with dark blue collar and cuffs. The Earl Marshal's officers (i.e. the
Pursuivants
A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval e ...
,
Heralds
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
and
Kings of Arms
King of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings and sometimes certify genealogies and noble titles. In other traditions, the power has been de ...
) wear similar coatees with varying degrees of embroidery. All the aforementioned continue to wear the uniform at the
State Opening of Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It includes a speech from the throne known as the King's (or Queen's) Speech. The event takes place ...
and on other occasions, the
officers of arms
An officer of arms is a person appointed by a sovereign or state with authority to perform one or more of the following functions:
* to control and initiate armorial matters;
* to arrange and participate in ceremonies of state;
* to conserve an ...
wearing it under their tabards.
Foreign Service variants
![Remembrance Sunday 2016 (30892405131) (detail)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Remembrance_Sunday_2016_%2830892405131%29_%28detail%29.jpg)
Members of the ''Diplomatic Service'' wore Court Uniform:
ambassadors
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
' coats wore 1st class civil uniform, but with additional embroidery on the sleeves and back seams.
High commissioners for
Dominions
The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire.
"Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, Dominion of New Zealand, New Zealand, Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland, Un ...
in London wore 1st class uniform. The High Commissioner for
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kn ...
, and Agents-General for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n states, wore 2nd class uniform. The King's or Queen's Foreign Service Messengers were entitled to 5th class court uniform (upgraded to 4th class in 1929) and also wore a distinctive greyhound badge.
Members of the ''Consular Service'' wore a slightly different form of the uniform, with silver embroidery rather than gold predominating.
The coatee (for both full-dress and levée dress) was in blue cloth, with a Prussian collar, single-breasted buttoning with nine frosted gilt buttons of royal arms, two more buttons on back waist, two more on coat tails. Consuls-general and consuls had embroidered gold and silver lace on collar, cuffs, pocket flaps, and back.
Consuls-general had , consuls . Vice-consuls on cuffs, and front half of collar only. All wore white breeches and stockings, patent leather court shoes with gilt buckles for full dress, or trousers with ''silver'' lace stripes and patent leather military boots for levée dress. Consuls' stripes were , others' were . These were worn with black beaver cocked hats, black cockade, ''silver'' bullion loops, and gold tassels. For consuls-general there were treble loops and a border of black ostrich feathers, for consuls double loops, and for vice-consuls single loops. A blue greatcoat or cloak, blue detachable cape was for outdoors use. The sword accessories were the same as for standard court uniform.
Members of the ''Colonial Service'' wore Court Uniform (or military uniform, if so entitled); but
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
s, and
Governors General have distinctive uniform of their own: a plain blue coat, scarlet collar and cuffs (embroidered in silver), silver epaulettes and trimmings and a plumed hat (with Governors General wearing
aiguillettes
An aiguillette (, from '' aiguille'', "needle"), also spelled , or , is a cord with metal tips or lace tags, or the decorative tip itself.
Functional or purely decorative fasteners of silk cord with metal tips were popular in the 16th and ea ...
in addition). This uniform (in slightly simplified form) continues to be worn by Governors of
British Overseas Territories
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
. Lieutenant-Governors and other officials of various ranks wear regular Court Uniform, as detailed above.
Indian members of the
Indian Civil Service
The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947.
Its members ruled over more than 300 million ...
were entitled to civil uniform, with a turban or
pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...
replacing the cocked hat, or the national dress which they were accustomed to wear on ceremonial occasions. They could also wear a blue coat buttoning from the neck to below the waist, worn with white trousers or pyjamas and the native head-dress.
Tropical dress
For all the above, a simplified white uniform was provided for use in tropical postings: of white
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
with
gilt buttons. Members of the diplomatic and consular services had the same embroidery on the collar and cuffs as on the full-dress blue coatee, but worked on (detachable) white cloth panels. Members of the colonial service, on the other hand, wore dark blue
gorget patches
Gorget patches (collar tabs, collar patches) are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank (group of ...
with gold braid, which varied according to rank (as did the number of buttons on the cuff).
With this uniform the same cocked hat was worn as with the temperate uniform, or else (specifically 'out of doors during the day') a white
sun helmet would be worn; in full-dress, the helmet would have a spike attached (for members of the diplomatic and consular services) or (for governors and governors general) a plume.
See also
*
Choir dress
Choir dress is the traditional vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of Christian churches worn for public prayer and the administration of the sacraments except when celebrating or concelebrating the Eucharist. It differs fro ...
*
Dress uniform
Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, incl ...
*
Ghillies
*
Mess dress
Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal, depending on the country) type of uniforms used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white d ...
*
Sumptuary law
Sumptuary laws (from Latin ''sūmptuāriae lēgēs'') are laws that try to regulate consumption. '' Black's Law Dictionary'' defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expendi ...
*
Windsor uniform
The Windsor uniform is a type of formal dress worn at Windsor Castle by male members of the British royal family (and some very senior courtiers).
History
The uniform was introduced by King George III in 1777. The full dress version, which h ...
*
Nationella dräkten
Nationella dräkten (, "the national costume") is a historic Swedish costume, designed by King Gustav III and introduced in 1778. It was designed for the nobility and the middle class with the intention of limiting rising consumption and import of ...
Notes
Sources
''Dress Worn at Court'' published by the Lord Chamberlain's Office, provides official regulations for all details of Court Dress and Uniforms. The 1937 edition has not been superseded.
''Dressed to Rule: Royal and Court Costume from Louis XIV to Elizabeth II'' by Philip Mansel, London: Yale University Press, 2005, .
External links
*
accessed 4 February 2006. Citing Titman, G.A. (1937): ''Dress and Insignia Worn at His Majesty's Court''. Harrison and Sons Limited.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Court Uniform And Dress in the United Kingdom
1810s fashion
1820s fashion
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
British uniforms
History of clothing (Western fashion)
State ritual and ceremonies
19th century in the United Kingdom
Court uniforms and dress
Material culture of royal courts