While there have been some royal books that I’ve eagerly anticipated this year only to be let down, there are also some that have not. And this is one of those books. I was thrilled when Rosie Harte announced on her TikTok that she would be releasing a book on royal fashion history. While a lot of people focus on the Victorians and later (really with the advent of photography), there is so much more to royal fashion throughout the centuries. For Style File Friday this week, I’m sharing my review of The Royal Wardrobe by Rosie Harte!
Note: I have both the ebook and the audiobook of The Royal Wardrobe– I purchased both myself.
The Royal Wardrobe, Rosie Harte
Peek into the wardrobes of history’s most fashionable royals
Why did women wear such heavy and uncomfortable skirts in the Elizabethan era?
What the hell happened to Charles II’s pubic hair wig?
How did Princess Diana’s revenge dress become so iconic?
Fashion for the royal family has long been one of their most powerful weapons. Every item of their clothing is imbued with meaning, history and majesty, telling a complex tale of the individuals who wore them and the houses they represented.
From the draping of a fabric to the arrangements of jewels, the clothing worn by royals is anything but coincidental. King at just nine years old, Edward VI’s clothes were padded to make him seem stronger and more manly; and the ever-conscious Elizabeth II insisted her coronation gown include all the representative flora of the commonwealth nations, and not just that of the United Kingdom. Yet reigning monarchs are not the only ones whose fashion sensibilities could mean make or break for the crown.
Original and enlightening, Rosie Harte’s complete history delicately weaves together the fashion faux pas and Vogue -worthy triumphs that chart the history of our royals from the Tudors to the Victorians right through to King Charles III and our twenty-first-century royal family. Travelling far beyond the bounds of the court, The Royal Wardrobe reveals the economic, social and political consequences of royal apparel, be it breeches, tiara, wig or waistcoat.
Each stitch has a story, you just need to know how to read them.
Why You Should Read This…
Rosie Harte is a must-follow on TikTok for me. She stays positive and kind (a must on any social media for me), she is incredibly well-informed about royal fashion, and she shares a lot of interesting news and opinions. (Go follow her if you are not already!)
The Royal Wardrobe begins with Henry VII’s reign and moves through to the present day. While it does move along at a swift pace, I never felt like we were being rushed. She is a strong writer and describes different fashion trends and changes well, despite a tendency in fashion history to dive into technical terms. This means that the book is incredibly easy to read, and no previous fashion history knowledge is required to enjoy it. I do somewhat wish that the Platagents were included as a lot of texts on the royals only begin with the Tudors, but I do understand that there has to be a defined scope. She also chooses to focus on the monarch and the consort for the most part, which also helps create strict parameters. (It could easily by 1000+ pages if you start including every member of the royal family.)
Harte balances anecdotal evidence and opinions with fact well. She brings some of these more remote and distant figures to life when many people in 2023 would see them as alien and “other”. I think that she particularly shines when covering the Stuarts, as they are ignored for their Tudor predecessors and she shares so many of their salacious and entertaining stories. (Not to mention much of their outrageous fashion: See Queen Anne of Denmark, King Charles II, etc.)
If you are like me and are looking for the bibliography, it is very robust for a general history book!
Harte narrates the audiobook herself, and she does an absolutely wonderful job. Again, having historians narrate their own audiobook seems to be a great choice, as she brings a warmth and humour to it that would be lost with an outside narrator.
My only slight qualm with The Royal Wardrobe is with her publisher- there are very few images in this book, which does feel like a miss for a royal fashion history book. While I’m sure many of us can picture The Queen’s 1953 Coronation gown or even Queen Victoria in her widow’s weeds, it can be more difficult for the casual reader to picture 15th century fashion trends. Purchasing the rights to use photos can be expensive, and her publisher (Headline) should have been willing to front it. (The author should in no way be expected to cover that.)
Is The Royal Wardrobe by Rosie Harte on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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