Figure 1.--Princess Albert and Princess Elizabeth are seen here in 1907 with princes Leopold and Charles. The portrait was published in 1907, it may have been taken a year or so ealier. This was two years before Albert became king. Note the difference in the clothing and hair styles of the two princes. Presumably this means that the boys were breeched betweenn 4-5 years old.

HBRC has no information on the breeching of the princes. Based on available photographs it looks like the boys were breeched about age 4 or 5 years. This is based on a 1907 portait showing Prince Charles (3-4 years old) still in dresses and Prince Leopold (5-6 years old) wearing a long pants sailor suit. HBRC does not know if the family had any special ceremony that acompanied breeching or just what the boys thought of it.

Ages

HBRC has no information on the breeching of the princes. Based on available photographs it looks like the boys were breeched about age 4 or 5 years. This is based on a 1907 portait showing Prince Charles (3-4 years old) still in dresses and Prince Leopold (5-6 years old) wearing a long pants sailor suit. However another photograp which identified Charls as 6 years old shows him still wearing a dress matching his ilder brother's kneepants outfit. So this topic requires some further research.

Conventions

HBRC has little information on the conventions associated with breeching boys in the 19th and early 20th century. HBRC does not know if the royal family had any special ceremony that acompanied breeching or just what the boys thought of it. One would think that there would be some kind of little ceremony or family event for the boy when he was irst dressed in pants. HBRC, however, has no contemporary sources describing such events.

Hair Styles

The boys were breeched before thair hair was cut. A 1907 photograpgh show Prince Leopold with hair cut on top, but still long at the side. A later image, perhaps 1908 shows Prince Charles still wearing long hair, but in a dark long pants sailor suit.

Boys' Attitudes

HBRC also has no information on what the bnoys involved thought about breeching. Presumably the age which it occurred had sone impact on how well the boy remembered the event and as to just how meaningful it was to the boy.

Time Line

Available images and information about Prince Leopold and Charles provide the following time line.
1901: Prince Leopold was born.
1902:
1903: Prince Charles as born.
1904:
1905:
1906: Prince Leopold may have been breeched in 1906, probably at age 5 years.
1907: Prince Carl was photographed in 1907, a least the photographed was published in 1907, wearing a dress. His older brother Leopold wears a white sailor suit.
1908: Prince Charles may have been breched in 1908, he probably was about 5 years old..
1909: Both princes were photographed in 1908 wearing long pants sailor suits.

Created: June 16, 2001
Last updated: June 16, 2001