#dronning maud
Costumes worn by Prince Carl (later king Haakon of Norway), princess Maud (later queen Maud of Norway) and princess Victoria, photographed by Lafayette on July 2, 1897, and two of the attires worn. The Lafayette photo comes from the Royal Archives at Windsor.
The occasion was a grand fancy dress ball hosted in London by the Duchess of Devonshire, in honour of queen Victoria’s 1897 Jubilee. Whereas the queen herself was not at the ball, many of her closest family members were.
The theme of the ball was allegorical or historical (pre 1815) figures. The Prince of Wales, later king Edward VII, came as grand prior of “The Order of St. John of Jerusalem”, while his wife Alexandra came as the French Renaissance queen Marguerite de Valois.
Their daughers were dressed as Renaissance ladies-in-waiting to the “Marguerite de Valois”, in similar corseted, slashed and collared dresses, while Danish prince Carl appeared as a Danish Renaissance courtier. I have never been able to find out the colour of princess Victoria’s dress. But the garments of her sister and brother in law were predominantely pink, purple and metallic. This we know because their attires are wonderfully preserved!
Princess Maud’s attire was made by French Morin-Blossier. The main fabric is a pink silk satin, appliquéed with sheer silk fabric in a diagonal pattern. The silk has then been embellished with silvery sequins and beads. In addition there’s paned sleeves and bodice details with the same sheer silk poking through, and a Recitella-style standing collar and cuffs.
It is not known who made prince Carl’s attire. But it is made of a black silk satin elaborately embroidered with silk and beads. In addition elastic purple hoses of wool and silk, thigh-high black boots, lace collar and cuffs, and a merallic belt with sword. And not to forget the matching tall, plumed hat. To look the part, the prince even wore a fake beard, to get the proper Renaissance look!
Today the costumes are is in the care of The National Museum in Oslo (OK-1991-0256 and OK-1991-0251).
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Evolution in women’s fashion in Europe, 1770s to 1910s
All attires from The National Museum in Oslo
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Queen Maud + pink
Of the wardrobe today in The National Museum in Oslo, a predominantely large part of the dresses are pink. It’s said to have been Queen Maud’d favourite colour, especially the more beige dominated borderlining “deadleaf”, the big hit colour of the 1930s. Pink is present in her wedding trousseau, in her exquisite 1897 fancy dress, in day dresses and in gala gowns. Here’s some favourites (all in the care of The National Museum in Oslo).
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Princess Maud of Wales + prince Carl of Denmark: a love story
(they were later to become the king and queen of Norway)
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There’s black dresses, and there’s BLACK DRESSES!
From Queen Maud’s wardrobe, unknown French or British designer, 1818 and 1820. Today in the care of The National Museum in Oslo (OK-1991-0206).
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Queen Maud + sports
When then Princess Maud of Wales married in 1896, her trousseau (I.E. her new wardrobe) was discussed in detail in the press. Some magazines was surprised by the amount of “sportswear” and the lack of grand robes, especially considering her mother Alexandra being one of the absolute fashion icons of the time, and she was known for a more opulent style.
The love for sports would be vital in Queen Maud’s life. She was one of the first of the British royal family to ride a bike in public, and she loved riding, skating and tennis. When she became the queen of Norway in 1906, she immediately learned skiing, toboganning and other winter sports. When staying at the royal winter residence, she usually went skiing twice a day.
But for all these activities she used skirts, and always rode side-saddle. Not until the 1930s does skiing trousers appear in her wardrobe. She was surprisingly fit and muscular due to her active lifestyle, and can be seen in many a sleeveless gala gown in the 1930s - she was then well into her 60s.
From top left:
- Riding attire for side saddle, 1920-26. Made by Busvine & Co ( X)
- Queen Maud riding at Bygdø in Oslo, 1910-15
- Riding attire for side saddle, early 1920s. Made by Busvine & Co ( X)
- Description of Maud’s trousseau from “The Queen, 1896
- Then princess Maud, newly wed, biking at Sandringham, 1896
- Sports suit, 1896, part of Maud’s trousseau. Made by Vernon ( X)
- Knitted wool coat trimmed with fur, ca. 1920 ( X)
- Queen Maud skiing in Oslo, 1927-35 sometime
- Wool coat trimmed with fur, late 1920s ( X)
As a bonus: here’s Queen Maud’s ice skates and roller skates from around 1900. They’re essentially sports boots with a separate metal bottom screwed or strapped on the boots. And yeah, high heels were essential.
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Left:Queen Maud’s coronation soirée dress, 1906. Made of gold lamé covered with gold lace, and decorated with diamanté, pearls and garlands of silk roses and leafs. The gala gown was made by Morin-Blossier in Paris ( X)
Right:The magazine L’Art et la Mode describing what Queen Maud wore under a state visit to France in June 1907. The golden Morrin-Blossier dress was worn for a dinner event at Elysée, and it looks like she also wore silk gloves, a metallic choker and a feather ornament in her hair. This depiction shows the dress in its original state; with puffed sleeves, while the current dress shows a lighter lace drape. This is a later alternation. The golden Morin-Blossier dress is described as follows:
“Pour le diner a l'Elysée. Robe fourreau en drap d'or, recouverte de dentelle dans le ton; teintée d'or et rebrodée de perles et briliants. Guirlande très en relief de roses de differents ors“
(For dinner at the Elysée. Fitted dress of a golden fabric, covered with matching gold lace and embroidered with pearls and briliants. Very raised garland of roses of different gold shades)
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The less familiar side of Queen Maud of Norway: sports
“Everyone” is familiar with her impeccable style, her slender waist and her royal background. Less known is her absolute love for sports. She’s said to have been one of the first in the British monarchy to bike in public, and biking was also a favourite activity of the just-engaged Maud and Carl (later king Haakon). Maud furthermore loved horse riding, ice skating, skiing, slleighrides, tennis etc, and encouraged her son, future king Olav, to embrace sports. He got as far as winning an Olympic medal in sailing in 1928.
Although much of the surviving wardrobe from queen Maud contains evening gowns and gala attires, there’s also traces of her sporty side. Sport coats,tailor-mades,sport dresses,ice skates,roller skates,knitted sweaters and fur-lined coatsandboots can be seen in the collection in the care of The National Museum in Oslo. Multiple private photos also exists.
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