Royal Dress and Appearance: Medieval to Modern

Between the Middle Ages and Modernity, the role of British royals changed considerably and the clothes they wore reflect this. From ceremonial to day wear, crown jewels to haute couture, the conspicuous to the conventional, discover the changing form and function of rulers’ dress between the Angevin and Windsor dynasties. The course will consider key periods, when rulers’ clothing underwent marked changes. It will examine the role of specific royals and designers, whose political will and aesthetic vision shaped the look and performance of monarchy. Through the evaluation of a comprehensive range of records, paintings, garments, jewellery and regalia, the course will explain how the appearance of today’s royals continues to be informed by the past; a connection made all the more important as their political authority has waned.