As it is currently Georgian History Month here on the blog, Style File Friday will be appropriately Georgian! And given that Queen Charlotte is commanding water-cooler talk and social media everywhere, I am thrilled that Georgian fashion is once again popular. I suspect that Royal Collection Trust curators were at least partially trying to capitalise on Bridgerton’s popularity with their current work, and I think it was a brilliant choice.(As well as Historic Royal Palaces and other museums and orgs!) Let’s look at “Style and Society: Dressing the Georgians” at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace for Style File Friday!
Who Are the Georgians?
Interestingly, I see a lot of people online saying that Queen Charlotte continues to wear Georgian fashion into the Regency period (for whatever reasons). However, the Regency was part of the Georgian period, not a separate period following it. If you are strictly remaining with the Georges, the Georgian period dates 1714 (George I’s ascension) to 1830 (George IV’s death)- the Regency period technically falls 1811-1820, which is within that. (I am including William IV’s reign for this month, so it is spanning 1714 to 1837 for the blog.)
Style and Society: Dressing the Georgians Exhibition
This is a Royal Collection Trust exhibition meaning that the curators have access to countless historically significant pieces. You can explore more at the Queen’s Gallery:
Discover what fashion can tell us about life in 18th-century Britain, a revolutionary period of trade, travel and technology which fuelled fashion trends across all levels of society. Delve into the Georgians’ style story and get up close to magnificent paintings, prints and drawings by artists including Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth, as well as luxurious textiles, sparkling jewellery, and a range of accessories from snuff boxes to swords.
The exhibition reveals how the Georgians ushered in many of the cultural trends we know today, including the first stylists and influencers, the birth of a specialised fashion press and the development of shopping as a leisure activity.
When you are looking at a span of over a century- especially in the modern period- you are guaranteed to have some societal change but Britain (and Europe) changed massively in the 18th century. So many of our habits related to consumerism can be traced back to this period.
Queen Charlotte in the Royal Collection
Queen Charlotte is obviously the historical figure on everyone’s minds at the moment. Prior to the Bridgerton series focusing on a fictional version of her life, Charlotte is largely known for Buckingham House (now Palace) and the Dutch House (now Kew Palace) as George bought both properties for her. And if you are interested in gardens, Kew Gardens also highlights the legacy of Charlotte’s interest in botany.
However, “Style and Society” highlights Charlotte’s influence over fashion. If you are newer here, you may not know but one of my pet peeves is seeing people dismiss fashion (and fashion history) as unimportant. I love that this exhibition is exploring Charlotte’s own fashion and the wider impact that it had. It draws on surviving garments, fashion journals of the time, portraits, and more.
And the exhibition is not limited to clothing, either- we are getting a look at Charlotte’s jewellery. Both Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary were known for being jewellery magpies, but Charlotte’s jewellery collection is also impressive.
Princess Charlotte’s Wedding Dress
Yes, if you did just watch Queen Charlotte on Netflix, Princess Charlotte is her granddaughter who has died at the beginning of the show. However, Princess Charlotte was so much more than a bit part in a show.
Princess Charlotte of Wales was the daughter of the future George IV and was adored by the British Royal Family. She was a headstrong girl in her childhood and teenage years, which quite frankly meant that she fit in with her entire family. The young princess was meant to inherit the throne after her father but died in childbirth at 19. (As I pointed out in my review of the show, the BRF was heartbroken over this- no deadpan “Sorrows. Sorrows. Prayers.”.)
I was lucky enough to see one of Princess Charlotte’s dresses on display at The Queen’s Gallery in 2019 in the Romanov exhibition, but I think that it would be incredible to see her wedding dress. Not only is it stunning and in fantastic condition, it is also the only surviving Georgian wedding gown in the Royal Collection. This is definitely an exhibition highlight, so make sure you give yourself enough time to appreciate it!
Where to Find “Style and Society”?
If you are interested in visiting this exhibition (and reporting back if you do, of course!), you can find it at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. You buy separate tickets for the exhibitions in the gallery than you do to visit Buckingham Palace itself, so double-check you’ve got the right ticket!
Visiting Times: Thursday to Monday; Admission from 10:00 to 16:15 (closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Is the “Style and Society: Dressing the Georgians” exhibition on your to-see list?
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
