This dress was once worn by Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of the United Kingdom, as documented in an 1894 photograph of the Queen holding her great-grandson, Edward VIII (1894-1972).

Queen Victoria wore this black dress in mourning for her grandson who died in the 1892 influenza epidemic. Here’s how we displayed this fragile dress.

Oct 20, 2023 · Mourning dress is what we wear after a death occurs. People often wear specific colours to mark the death of a loved one, with black being predominant in western society. (Medieval queens would often mourn in white, but that was not widespread.)

Oct 6, 2021 · Though it remained part of a person’s wardrobe for many years prior, the Victorian era likely holds the most fame because Queen Victoria wore mourning dress for forty years after the loss of her husband, Prince Albert. To the Victorians, black dress could symbolize mourning.

Oct 21, 2014 · During the Victorian era, mourning was not taken lightly. After the death of her husband, Albert, prince consort in 1861, Queen Victoria wore nothing but regal mourning dress until the end of her...

Dec 29, 2014 · This gown, and the similarly composed example of black tulle embroidered with deep purple sequins, demonstrates a dramatic shift from the sober mourning attire of Queen Victoria.” Death Becomes Her made good use of the the room’s walls, projecting various nineteenth-century texts upon them.

Jan 16, 2025 · Victorian fashion became notorious for its mourning etiquette, which included elaborate rituals, strict dressing rules, and clear social expectations. Partly, they were inspired by the mourning of Queen Victoria, who grieved over her husband for forty years.

Sep 16, 2018 · Queen Victoria with the five surviving children of her daughter, Princess Alice, dressed in mourning clothing for their mother and their sister Princess Marie in early 1879. In case of multiple deaths in a household over a short period of time, it meant mourning phases extended for several years.

Black mourning dress reached its peak during the reign of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of the United Kingdom in the second half of the 19th century. Queen Victoria wore mourning from the death of her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861), until her own death.

British mourning dress originally worn by Queen Victoria. 1894-95. Black silk taffeta, black silk ribbon, black silk lace, black silk crape. Collection: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2009.300.1156a,b).