It is a rare occasion when we can compare a gown in a portrait with the actual dress. The painting, after George Daw, of the Prince Regent’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, shows her wearing a charming blue gown in a domestic, albeit royal, setting.
Princess Charlotte in her Russian Dress. Painting after George Daw, 1817. Image @Wikipedia
A second portrait depicts the same dress more royally. Princess Charlotte (or the artist) has accessorized the dress with ermine, lace, and pearls.
Image @Grand Ladies
The mannequin from the Museum of London exhibit a few years back is dressed more informally, as if she was in the morning room reading. I found the image on Pinterest, but unfortunately the pin did not state the image’s origin. (A reader wrote that the dress belongs to the Royal Collection.)
As you can see, the dress no longer possesses the rich blue hue as shown in the paintings. So many of the costumes of that era are not only in a fragile state and can rarely be shown, but we cannot trust that the colors have remained the same.
Princess Charlotte's "Russian" outfit as shown at The Museum of London. The gown belongs to The Royal Collection.
Below is the original portrait by George Daw, which shows Princess Charlotte wearing the same dress. Click here for yet another view of Charlotte in a similar gown, but without the trim and wearing a lace cap. My sense is that after her death Princess Charlotte’s image became sought after and that many portrait copies were made (both in oil and in print) to satisfy the mourning public.
Princess Charlotte, George Daw, 1817. Image @National Portrait Gallery
Find more views of the gown at Jenny La Fleur’s site. Images of the gown can be seen in the exhibit catalogue called In Royal Fashion: Clothes of Princess Charlotte of Wales and Queen Victoria, 1796-1901, which can only be obtained second hand.
The exhibit: Princess Charlotte, The Lost Princess, will be on display at the Prince Regent Gallery in the Brighton Pavillion through 10 March, 2013.
My other posts about Princess Charlotte:
Jane Austen's World 
I believe the dress is in the Royal Collection, but was on loan to the Museum of London when it was shown in the “In Royal Fashion: The Clothes of Princess Charlotte of Wales and Queen Victoria 1796-1901” exhibit in the late 1990s. This image of the dress you have, known as the “Russian Dress,” is in the exhibit catalog by Kay Staniland on pages 74-75.
This dress is now on display in the new exhibit “Charlotte, the Forgotten Princess” at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton from March 10, 2012 to March 10, 2013. Here’s the link to the exhibit information: http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/WhatsOn/Pages/CharlottetheForgottenPrincess.aspx
Thank you so much. I’ll make the changes! I looked up In Royal Fashion: Clothes of Princess Charlotte of Wales and Queen Victoria, 1796-1901 for purchase. As a used book the catalogue costs $100, a bit beyond my budget!
It really is a wonderful book. Beautiful images of the original clothing from Princess Charlotte & Queen Victoria. I highly recommend it if you can find it.
I saw that exhibit at the Museum of the City of London. Thanks so much for mentioning the exhibit in Brighton. Yet another trip I have to take in the fall.
You have an entire year! Wish I could go.
I also saw the exhibit at the Museum of the city of London..what I liked the most was the silver dress. Was there ever a portrait of it?
Not a portrait, but I do know of two illustrations. https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/in-honor-of-the-royal-wedding-princess-charlottes-wedding-dress-1816/
I did not see the wedding dress, but I was lucky enough to see the bell flower gown at the Museum of London before it was stored again.
Regarding the wedding dress, Kay Staniland explains in the exhibit catalog that they now think the bodice on the dress that survives today is the only part of the actual wedding dress of Princess Charlotte. The dress as it exists now does not resemble contemporary descriptions of Princess Charlotte’s wedding dress.
This blog explains a little more about the wedding dress: http://austenonly.com/2011/04/24/a-rather-different-royal-wedding-that-of-princess-charlotte-and-prince-leopold/
thanks Vic..I was allowed to take photos at the exhibit, but so much glare through the glass. Your link with your photos really show the details!
I’m wondering why they are showing the actual dress with a different type of blouse or sleeved top than in the paintings.
Kay Staniland explains this in the “In Royal Fashion” exhibit catalog. There is speculation that for the George Daw painting from 1817, they used a large piece of lace as a “blouse” rather than a formed garment. If you look at the painting, you can see at the sleeves that they are wide open and being held together by pearl clips or pins. No one knows what happened to the original garment.
Another theory could be artistic license. Princess Charlotte could have worn a plain “blouse” underneath the Russian dress for the in person portrait sittings, but George Daw could have painted in a more elaborate “blouse” for the finished portrait.
Redswv: Details about the conservation of the wedding dress are mentioned in Victoriana Magazine, 2011. The originality of parts of the dress was not discussed. http://www.victorianamagazine.com/royalty/Royal_Wedding_Dress.html
Really lovely. I am so fascinated by these tidbits of the era, which we’re allowed a peek of every now and then. I remember seeing Josephine Bonaparte’s coronation gown in the Musee du Costume in Paris many years ago. I went back later just to sit and imagine how she must have towered over the little Napoleon… I also like how much Charlotte resembled her father in her features. Not beautiful but handsome, as they say.
It’s unfortunate the colour faded away, but they did not know much about preservation in those days.
what about that “blouse”? They keep showing stuff like that in Bright Star, etc and I’ve never seen a period fashion illustration with one of those. Can someone enlighten me?
I love the dress and the George Dawe painting so much! Would love the skills to make a replica dress.
I went to the exhibition a few weeks ago I have written a brief blog post on it here http://vintagefrills.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/charlotte-the-forgotten-princess-at-the-royal-pavillion/