A royal christening gown is an item of

baptismal clothing Baptismal clothing is apparel worn by Christian proselytes (and in some cases, by clergy members also) during the ceremony of baptism. White clothes are generally worn because the person being baptized is "fresh like the driven manna". In certain C ...

used by a

royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...

at family christenings. Among those presently using such a gown are the royal families of 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 ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. 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. While it is the tradition for these families to reuse the same gowns, some members of these families have decided to use their own purpose-bought gowns for their children. In 1867 for the christening of

Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein Prince Christian Victor Albert Louis Ernst Anton of Schleswig-Holstein (14 April 1867 – 29 October 1900) was a member of the British royal family. He was the eldest son of Princess Helena, third daughter of Queen Victoria. Early life Pri ...

, his mother Princess Helena used a different gown given to her by her mother

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

; and

Prince Joachim of Denmark , father = Henri de Laborde de Monpezat , mother = Margrethe II of Denmark , house = Glücksburg (official) Monpezat (agnatic) , religion = Church of Denmark , occupation = Military Attaché, Royal Danish Embassy in ...

has favoured using gowns by the Danish designer Henrik Hviid for his children, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix,

Prince Henrik Prince Henrik of Denmark (; born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; 11 June 1934 – 13 February 2018) was the husband of Margrethe II of Denmark. He served as her royal consort from Margrethe's accession on 14 January 1972 unt ...

, and Princess Athena.

United Kingdom

The ''Honiton christening gown'' or simply ''royal christening gown'' is an item of

used by the British royal family at every christening. The original gown was created for the christening of

Victoria, Princess Royal Victoria, Princess Royal (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa; 21 November 1840 – 5 August 1901) was German Empress and Queen of Prussia as the wife of German Emperor Frederick III. She was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingd ...

, in 1841 and was used by the family until 2004, when it was retired for

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

commissioned a replica of the 1841 gown which was first used for the christening of her youngest grandson,

James, Viscount Severn James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (born 17 December 2007) is the younger child of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar. He is the youngest grandchild of Elizabeth II ...

, in 2008; this replica gown is the one in use as of 2022.

History

In 1840,

and Prince Albert's first child, Princess Victoria, Princess Royal, was born. For the Princess Royal's christening on 10 February 1841, her parents commissioned both the Lily Font and a new christening gown. The gown was designed by Janet Sutherland, who served as Embroiderer to the Queen. It was made of

Honiton lace Honiton lace is a type of bobbin lace made in Honiton, Devon, in the United Kingdom. Historical Honiton lace designs focused on scrollwork and depictions of natural objects such as flowers and leaves. Characteristics Honiton lace is a part l ...

and Spitalfields

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 ...

, and was fashioned after

Queen Victoria's wedding dress Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on 10 February 1840. She chose to wear a white wedding dress made from heavy silk satin, making her one of the first women to wear white for their wedding. The ...

. The gown was kept and reused by Victoria for all her children and for all her "English grandchildren" (the children of Albert Edward and

Alexandra Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "prot ...

Alfred Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

and

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...

and

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

and Helena, and Beatrice and

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

). Subsequent generations of the family also continued to use it, including Victoria's great-grandson

Lord Louis Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of Germa ...

. Five kings, four queens, an empress and a crown princess were christened in the original gown: Prince Charles Christening Family Portrait

In total, the original gown was used by 62 royal children over a period of 163 years, including by the current King, Charles III. Both Charles' sons, his heir apparent

William, Prince of Wales William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

, and younger son

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

, were christened in the original gown, while their children (

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

and Archie) were christened in the replica gown. Lilibet, the daughter of Prince Harry, is yet to be christened. There are strict instructions relating to the care of the gown, including that it be washed by hand with

spring water A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust (pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh w ...

after each use and be stored in a dark room. These measures are meant to slow down the garment's aging process and to preserve it as much as possible. In her journal entry for 15 December 1875, the day of

Princess Marie of Edinburgh Marie (born Princess Marie Alexandra Victoria of Edinburgh; 29 October 1875 – 18 July 1938) was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. Marie was born into the British royal family. Her parents were Prince Alfred, D ...

's christening,

said of the dress' condition: "The Baby was dressed in the old Christening robe, which will hardly hold together!" At that time, the dress was 34 years old.

Replica gown

The 1841 gown was last used in 2004 at the christening of

Lady Louise Windsor Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor (born 8 November 2003) is the elder child of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Forfar, both members of the British royal family. She is a granddau ...

, 163 years after its first use; Queen Elizabeth II subsequently decided it was too fragile for continued use and had the gown retired. The Queen then commissioned her personal wardrobe advisor Angela Kelly to recreate the original gown. Craftsmen from both the United Kingdom and Italy were involved in the project, so as to ensure that the new gown would be as similar to the original as possible. The replica gown was first used on 19 April 2008 at

's christening, and has been in use ever since. The gown's most recent use was the christening of

Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British royal family. She is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of Charle ...

's daughter, Sienna Mozzi in April 2022.

Denmark

The (lit. ''christening gown'') was first used in 1870 for the christening of

Christian X of Denmark Christian X ( da, Christian Carl Frederik Albert Alexander Vilhelm; 26 September 1870 – 20 April 1947) was King of Denmark from 1912 to his death in 1947, and the only King of Iceland as Kristján X, in the form of a personal union rather ...

. Three kings and two queens have been baptised in this gown:

Queen Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

's heir apparent,

Crown Prince Frederik Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, Prince Henri ...

, and his heir apparent, Prince Christian, have also been baptised in the gown. This gown is made of

Brussels lace Brussels lace is a type of pillow lace that originated in and around Brussels."Brussels." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. The term "Brussels lace" has been broadly used for any lace from Brussels; however, strictly interpreted, ...

, and was bought by Crown Princess Louise in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

for her eldest son's christening. The gown was most recently used in 2012 for the christening of

and

Crown Princess Mary Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; 5 February 1972) is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark. Frederik is the heir apparent to the throne, which means that should he succeed, Mary w ...

's son Prince Vincent. Rather than wearing the traditional family gown, Prince Joachim's children have worn gowns designed by Henrik Hviid, while Princess Josephine, Prince Vincent's twin sister, wore a gown found among Queen Ingrid's belongings.

Netherlands

The ''doopjurk'' (lit. ''christening gown'') is an item of clothing used by the

Dutch royal family The monarchy of the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. As such, the role and position of the monarch are governed by the Constitution of the Netherlands. Consequently, a large portion of it is devoted to the monarch. Roughly a third of ...

at every christening. The original gown was commissioned by Queen Emma for the christening of her daughter Princess Wilhelmina in 1880. The Dutch gown has been worn by at least thirteen royal babies over 139 years, accounting for all monarchs since Wilhelmina and their children.

History

In the Netherlands, a christening was usually the first time a royal baby was introduced to the public. Before Wilhelmina's christening in 1880, the mother of the child was not usually present at the service. It was also rare that christenings were held outside of churches. The gown was hand sewn by Anne Maria Schelfhout-Picnot, a clothing supplier to Queen Emma who specialized in infant clothing. Made of

, the gown is decorated with floral motifs and the Dutch royal coat of arms. Four

Dutch monarchs Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People ...

have been baptised in this gown: King Willem-Alexander's heir apparent,

Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria; born 7 December 2003) is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the constituent countries of Aruba, Curaçao, the Net ...

, and his other two daughters, Princess Alexia and

Princess Ariane Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau (Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés; born 10 April 2007) is the third and youngest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Princess Ariane is a member of the Dutch Royal Hous ...

, have also been baptised in this gown. The gown was most recently used at the christening of Princess Ariane in 2007.

The extended royal family

For other members of the

Dutch royal house In the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the monarchy is a constitutional office and is controlled by the Constitution of the Netherlands. A distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the royal house. Membership According t ...

, such as

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands (born 19 January 1943) is the third daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. As an aunt of the reigning monarch, King Willem-Alexander, she is a member of the Dutch Royal House and currently ...

and her family, christenings are private occasions, and most have taken place in the chapel of

Het Loo Palace Het Loo Palace ( nl, Paleis Het Loo , meaning "The Lea") is a palace in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, built by the House of Orange-Nassau. History The symmetrical Dutch Baroque building was designed by Jacob Roman and Johan van Swieten and was bui ...

. It is also tradition that the baptism is conducted by the minister who officiated at the child's parents' wedding.

Norway

In the Norwegian royal family, all babies since 1920, with the exception of

Princess Ingrid Alexandra Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (born 21 January 2004) is the eldest child of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and the grandchild of King Harald V. She is second in line of succession to the Norwegian throne after her fat ...

, have been baptised in a robe that was handmade in 1920 by Princess Ingeborg, Crown Princess Märtha of Norway's mother, and thus grandmother of the current king,

Harald Harald or Haraldr is the Old Norse form of the given name Harold. It may refer to: Medieval Kings of Denmark * Harald Bluetooth (935–985/986) Kings of Norway * Harald Fairhair (c. 850–c. 933) * Harald Greycloak (died 970) * Harald Hardra ...

. The robe's first wearer was

Prince George Valdemar of Denmark Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (George Valdemar Carl Axel; 16 April 1920McNaughton, C. Arnold, ''The Book of Kings'', vol.1, p.187 – 29 September 1986) was a Danish prince. He was a second cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Early l ...

, one of Ingeborg's grandchildren, and has since been worn by many Norwegian royal children. The names of the babies are sewn in to the gown. Princess Ingrid Alexandra, who as of 2022 is second in line to the

Norwegian throne The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...

, was baptised in the chapel of the Royal Palace in Oslo on 17 April 2004, wearing the same gown as her great-grandfather

King Olav V Olav V (; born Prince Alexander of Denmark; 2 July 1903 – 17 January 1991) was the King of Norway from 1957 until his death in 1991. Olav was the only child of King Haakon VII of Norway and Maud of Wales. He became heir apparent to the Nor ...

had worn when he was baptised as Prince Alexander Edward Christian Frederik of Denmark at

Sandringham Sandringham can refer to: Places * Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia * Sandringham, Queensland, Australia * Sandringham, Victoria, Australia **Sandringham railway line **Sandringham railway station **Electoral district of Sandringham * Sand ...

in 1903. This gown had been purchased for him by his grandmother,

Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 t ...

Spain

The ''faldón de cristianar'' (lit. ''baptismal gown''), is the gown used by the

Spanish royal family The Spanish royal family consists of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, their children (Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Infanta Sofía of Spain), and Felipe's parents, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía. The royal family lives at Zarzuela Palace i ...

. It was first commissioned in 1938 by the then-

exiled ''Exiled'' () is a 2006 Hong Kong action drama film produced and directed by Johnnie To, and starring Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Nick Cheung, Josie Ho, Roy Cheung and Lam Suet, with special appearances by Richie Jen and Simon Yam. The action ...

Infante Juan and Infanta María de las Mercedes of Spain for their son, Infante Juan Carlos. This gown is made of beige

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

, with

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 ...

ribbons and hand-embroidered lace.

History

The gown was first used for the christening of

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

in 1938. At this time, the Spanish royal family were in exile in Rome during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, whilst Spain was under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The family were later permitted to return before Juan Carlos' installation as

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

, and the first use of the gown in Spain was for the christening of

Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de Silos de Borbón y de Grecia; born 20 December 1963) is the first child and eldest daughter of Juan Carlos I (King of Spain from 1975 to 2014) and Queen Sofía of Spain, and third ...

in 1963. Two Spanish monarchs have been christened in this gown: The other members of the royal family baptised in this gown are: * 1939: Infanta Margarita of Spain (latterly ''Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria and Duchess of Hermani'') * 1941:

Infante Alfonso of Spain Infante Alfonso of Spain (''Don Alfonso Cristino Teresa Ángelo Francisco de Asís y Todos los Santos de Borbón y Borbón Dos-Sicilias''; 3 October 1941 – 29 March 1956) was the younger brother of King Juan Carlos of Spain. He was also th ...

* 1963:

Infanta Elena of Spain Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de Silos de Borbón y de Grecia; born 20 December 1963) is the first child and eldest daughter of Juan Carlos I (King of Spain from 1975 to 2014) and Queen Sofía of Spain, and third ...

(latterly ''Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo'') * 1965:

Infanta Cristina of Spain Infanta Cristina of Spain (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia, born 13 June 1965) is the younger daughter of the former King and Queen of Spain Juan Carlos I of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Queen So ...

* 1998: Felipe de Marichalar y Borbón (son of

and

Jaime de Marichalar Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, Lord of Tejada (born 7 April 1963), is the former husband of the Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo, the eldest daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. Personal life Of Navarran Basque Carli ...

) * 1999: Juan Urdangarín y de Borbón (son of

and

Iñaki Urdangarin Iñaki Urdangarin Liebaert (born 15 January 1968) is a retired Spanish handball player turned entrepreneur and the husband of Infanta Cristina, younger daughter of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía. He was the brother-in-law of King Felipe VI ...

) * 2000: Victoria de Marichalar y Borbón (daughter of Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo and Jaime de Marichalar) * 2001: Pablo Urdangarín y de Borbón (son of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin) * 2002: Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón (son of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin) * 2005: Irene Urdangarín y de Borbón (daughter of Infanta Cristina of Spain and Iñaki Urdangarin) * 2006:

Infanta Leonor of Spain ''Infante'' (, ; f. ''infanta''), also anglicised as Infant or translated as Prince, is the title and rank given in the Iberian kingdoms of Spain (including the predecessor kingdoms of Aragon, Castile, Navarre, and León) and Portugal to th ...

(latterly ''Leonor, Princess of Asturias''), current heiress presumptive to the throne * 2007:

Infanta Sofía of Spain Infanta Sofía of Spain (Sofía de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Ortiz; born 29 April 2007) is the younger daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. She has an older sister, Leonor, whom she follows in the line of succession to the Sp ...

Sweden

The ''Dopklänning'' (also lit. ''christening gown''), has been in the

Swedish royal family The Swedish royal family ( sv, Svenska kungafamiljen) since 1818 has consisted of members of the Swedish Royal House of Bernadotte, closely related to the King of Sweden. Today those who are recognized by the government are entitled to royal ti ...

's use since the christening of

Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund; 22 April 1906 – 26 January 1947) was a Swedish prince, who for most of his life was second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. He was the eldest ...

in 1906. This gown is made of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

batiste Cambric or batiste, is a fine dense cloth. It is a lightweight plain-weave fabric, originally from the commune of Cambrai (in present-day northern France), woven greige (neither bleached nor dyed), then bleached, piece-dyed, and often gl ...

and

Valenciennes lace Valenciennes lace is a type of bobbin lace which originated in Valenciennes, in the Nord département of France, and flourished from about 1705 to 1780."Valenciennes." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. Later production moved to Bel ...

, with a

undergarment. At Princess Margaretha's christening in 1935, her parents, The Duke and Duchess of Västerbotten, commissioned a cream-colored cape and cap to be added to the gown. All the names and dates of the baptisms the gown has been used for since then have been embroidered into the cape. One king and one queen have been christened in this gown: The other royals baptised in this gown are: * 1906:

* 1907:

Prince Sigvard, Duke of Uppland Sigvard Oscar Fredrik, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (7 June 1907 – 4 February 2002) born as, and until 1934 known as, Prince Sigvard of Sweden, Duke of Uppland, was a member of the Swedish Royal Family and a successful industrial desi ...

(latterly ''Sigvard Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg'') * 1909:

Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland Lennart, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg (born Prince Lennart, Duke of Småland; 8 May 1909 – 21 December 2004) was a Swedish-German landscaper, filmmaker, photographer and was a grandson of King Gustaf V of Sweden. He was also the eldest gr ...

(latterly ''Lennart Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg'') * 1912:

Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland (Bertil Gustaf Oskar Carl Eugén; 28 February 1912 – 5 January 1997), was a member of the Swedish royal family. He was the third son of King Gustaf VI Adolf and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught, ...

* 1916:

Prince Carl Johan, Duke of Dalarna Carl Johan Arthur, Prince Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, (31 October 1916 – 5 May 2012) was the fourth son and fifth and youngest child of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife Princess Margaret of Connaught. He was born a Prince ...

(latterly ''Carl Johan Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg'') * 1935:

Princess Margaretha of Sweden Princess Margaretha of Sweden (Margaretha Sofia Lovisa Ingeborg; 25 June 1899 – 4 January 1977) was a member of the Swedish Royal Family by birth and the Danish Royal Family by marriage. She was the elder sister of Crown Princess Märtha of No ...

* 1937:

Princess Birgitta of Sweden Princess Birgitta of Sweden (Birgitta Ingeborg Alice; born 19 January 1937) is an elder sister of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Family Born at Haga Palace in Stockholm, she is the second child of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten, and Prince ...

* 1938: Princess Désirée of Sweden * 1943: Princess Christina of Sweden * 1977: Princess Victoria of Sweden (latterly ''Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Västergötland'') * 1979: Crown Prince Carl Philip (latterly ''Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland'') * 1982:

Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland (Madeleine Thérèse Amelie Josephine; born 10 June 1982) is the second daughter and youngest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Upon her birth, she was third ...

* 2012:

Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland (Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary; born 23 February 2012) is the elder child of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland. She is the eldest grandchild of King Carl XVI Gustaf ...

* 2014: Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland * 2015: Prince Nicolas, Duke of Ångermanland * 2016, 27 May:

Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of Skåne (Oscar Carl Olof; born 2 March 2016) is the younger child and only son of Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel. He is a grandson of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and is third in th ...

* 2016, 11 October: Prince Alexander, Duke of Södermanland * 2017: Prince Gabriel, Duke of Dalarna * 2018: Princess Adrienne, Duchess of Blekinge * 2021: Prince Julian, Duke of Halland The gown has been worn by more than twenty royals over 110 years, and was most recently used at the christening of

Prince Carl Philip A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

's son, Prince Julian, in 2021.

References

{{reflist Ceremonial clothing Christian clothing British royal attire British royal family Danish royalty Dutch royalty Spanish royalty Swedish royalty