Queen Victoria, during her reign of 63 years, established numerous traditions that continue to shape the royal family today. From the annual summer sojourn at Balmoral, a gift from Prince Albert in 1853, to the Christmas tree tradition, Victoria’s influence is undeniable. Yet, one of her more peculiar legacies lies in the royal family’s enduring affinity for nautical-inspired fashion.
The genesis of this trend can be traced back to 1846, when Queen Victoria commissioned a miniature sailor’s uniform for her eldest son, Prince Albert Edward. Intending for the four-year-old to wear it aboard the royal yacht while sailing the Channel Islands, Victoria was delighted with the garment, noting in her diary, “[It was] beautifully made by the man on board who makes for our sailors.” The officers and sailors assembled on deck to witness the young prince cheered, their enthusiasm seemingly contagious.
However, it was Prince Albert who truly embraced the nautical look. He commissioned a portrait of his son wearing the suit by German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter as a Christmas gift for Victoria. When the royal family exhibited the picture of the future King Edward VII in St James’s Palace the following year, it drew crowds of over 100,000 visitors. Prints and miniatures of the portrait were widely circulated, sparking a Victorian craze for nautical children’s fashion that permeated the British aristocracy and beyond.
This trend persisted through the late Victorian period and into the Edwardian era. Vogue, the fashion bible, frequently featured articles dedicated to the nautical look in the early 20th century. In a 1909 issue, the magazine declared that for “the little fellow”, Russian blouses and sailor suits were “still the leading styles.” This influence extended to the future monarchs: King Edward VIII and King George VI were both photographed in sailor suits, as was Prince Philip during his childhood. Notably, while Edward trained for the Royal Navy, both George and Philip actually served.
The cycle continued with Diana, Princess of Wales, who embraced the nautical aesthetic when her sons, Princes William and Harry, arrived. Not only did she seize every opportunity to dress her sons in sailor suits, but she also made sailor dresses a hallmark of her own style throughout the 1980s. Exhibit A: the outfit Diana wore to Buckingham Palace immediately after the Privy Council approved her marriage into the royal family in 1981, a testament to the enduring appeal of this style.
Queen Victoria’s love for nautical fashion, sparked by a miniature sailor suit for her son, Prince Albert Edward, in 1846, has left a lasting impact on royal style. This trend, which swept through Victorian and Edwardian society, continues to influence royal fashion even today, with Princes William and Harry, and even Diana, Princess of Wales, embracing the nautical aesthetic. It’s a reminder that some traditions, like the enduring allure of a sailor suit, transcend time and continue to shape the royal image.
