Belgian Royalty: Regent Charles' Boyhood Clothes


Figure 1.--.

Leopold and his brother Charles were always smartly outfitted by their mother. Often they were done up in identical outfits. They may have been two of the best dressed European princes. Unlike the British princes of about the same period they did not just alternate between sailor suits and kilts. Elizabeth believed in dressing her children very fashionably. The boys, after breeching, were often outfitted in Fautleroy suits and lacy blouses with frilly collars for dress occasions. Their mother liked to dress the boys in matching or identical outfits. Presumably she was influenced in her fashion tastes by her chilhood in the Bavarian court. Most of the headwear Charles' headwear appears to be broad-brimmed sailor hats. He wore them with dresses ecen before he was breached. We see quite a variety here, but they all seem to be the basic hat. The hats vary as to the with of the brim and the edge trimming. They are also worn differently. Elizabeth appears to have liked velvet Fauntleroy suits. Some were worn with lace or ruffled collars, but as older boys, large palin collars seem to have been more common. The boys appear to have worn them at least through about 11 years of age. While not quite Fauntleroy suits, the boys when they were younger wore light colored suits (I'm not sure about the color) trimmed in lace and ruffles. They appear to have been comfortable outfits with open collars. There were two versions of these suits. One with a skirt bottom and another as they got older with kneepants. Photographs show the boys wearing frilly, open collar blouses to a fairly advanced age. They were always rather fancy, but comfortable-looking open collar blouses. Their mothers seems to have been very fond of these fancy blouses with ruffled collars, lace, or other fancy work. Many of these blouces seem to have very large, rather childish collars. The boys look to still be wearing them at about 13 or so. The boys also wore sailor suits. I'm not sure at what age they began wearing sailor suits. One photograph shows Charles at about 5 years of age wearing a blue long pants sailor suit. As is so often the casem his brother Leopold wears an identical suit. This may well have been his forst sailor suit. I do not know if Charles and his brother wore Belgian folk costumes. Somehow I rather doubt it. They did wear Bavarian folk costumes when visiting their Bavarian cousins. Charles during World War I wore a Boy Scout uniform. His older brother Leopold wore an army uniform. We do not know when Charles joined the Scouts or if Leopold was also a Scout. Apparently Charles was thought too young to wear an army uniform, but a Scout uniform would appear sufficently patriotic.

Headwear

Most of the headwear Charles' headwear appears to be broad-brimmed sailor hats. He wore them with dresses ecen before he was breached. We see quite a variety here, but they all seem to be the basic hat. The hats vary as to the with of the brim and the edge trimming. They are also worn differently. For casual occassions the brim may be tirned jauntily down. We wonder who did this and if the boys took any interst in such matters. For more formal occasions the drim was worn in the more traditional up pattern. We note that for the beach there was an elastic chin strap. We are not sure, however, which of the hats were worn with these straps. There are also some hats with narrow brims. One photograph shows both Charles and Leopold wearing soft sailor caps. When visiting his Bavarian cousins, Charles wore an Alpine cap with lederhosen--presumably provided by his Bavarian relatives.

Dresses

The boys when they were young were outfitted in dresses, as was still the fashion in the years before World War I. This seems to be the case, however, while they were still quite young. Although the fashion if dressing younger boys was waining in the early 20th century, it had no disappeared. Charles and his brother, like many, affluent boys, wore dresses. Charles wore lacey white dresses with puff sleves and eylet lace. It appears to be a relatively long dress. He also wore a wide brimmed sailor hat with his dress, but there is no elastic chin strap. I have no further data on the dresses that the boys wore before breeching. Ihave no written information on this, but available photographs suggest that Elizabeth appears to have breeched the boys by the time they were about 4 or 5 years of age.


Figure 2.--The three children of King Albert (Leopold, Charles, and Marie Jose) are pictured here in identical Fautleroy suits in a photograph taken about 1910. Note the ruffled collars and that Charles is dressed just like his older brother. Queen Elizabeth liked to dress them identically.

Fauntleroy Suits

Elizabeth appears to have liked velvet Fauntleroy suits. Some were worn with lace or ruffled collars, but as older boys, large palin collars seem to have been more common. The boys appear to have worn them at least through about 11 years of age. They could have worn them longer. Photographs show them still outfitted in cery fancy blouses at about 12 or 13 years of age. I'm not sure if they were still wearing Fauntleroy suits at that age. Their Fauuntleroy suits were worn with ruffled rather than lace collars and without bows. This reflects the changing fashion trends with lace collars becoming less popular after the turn of the century. One velvet Fauntleroy suit had kneepants and was worn with long stockings. The boys wore their light-colored kneepants suits with white long stockings, but there dark Fauntleroy suit always seem to have been worn with dark long stockings. They do not appear to have any velvet short pants. I'm not sure what color these suits were, but they seem to have been black.

Fancy Suits

While not quite Fauntleroy suits, the boys when they were younger wore light colored suits (I'm not sure about the color) trimmed in lace and ruffles. They appear to have been comfortable outfits with open collars. There were two versions of these suits. One with a skirt bottom and another as they got older with kneepants.

Lacey Blouses

Photographs show the boys wearing frilly, open collar blouses to a fairly advanced age. They were always rather fancy, but comfortable-looking open collar blouses. Their mothers seems to have been very fond of these fancy blouses with ruffled collars, lace, or other fancy work. Many of these blouces seem to have very large, rather childish collars. The boys look to still be wearing them at about 13 or so. How much longer they wore them I am not quite sure.

Sailor Suits

The boys also wore sailor suits. I'm not sure at what age they began wearing sailor suits. One photograph shows Charles at about 5 years of age wearing a blue long pants sailor suit. As is so often the casem his brother Leopold wears an identical suit. This may well have been his forst sailor suit. He still has quite long hair in the photograph. Sone of their sailor suits were worn with wide-brimmed sailor hats. They also wore wide-brimmed sailor hats with their dresses. I'm not sure if they wore their sailor suits with long pants, kneepants or short pants. Possibly all three at different ages or seasonally.

Folk Costumes

I do not know if Charles and his brother wore Belgian folk costumes. Somehow I rather doubt it. They did wear Bavarian folk costumes when visiting their Bavarian cousins. One photograph shows both Charles with his Bavarian cousins, Luitpold and Albrecht. The boys wear Alpine caps, Bavarian jackets, and lederhosen. The photograph here is one of the few available snapshots of Charles. All the other photographs appear to be rather formal studio portraits. We assume that Prince Leopold also visited with his Bavarian cousins and wore similar folk outfits. This image shows the close family relationship between the two families, as Queen Elizabeth was a Bavarain royal, and it is not surprising that many of the outfitsworn by these boys were so similar.

Boy Scout Uniform

Charles during World War I wore a Boy Scout uniform. His older brother Leopold wore an army uniform. We do not know when Charles joined the Scouts or if Leopold was also a Scout. Apparently Charles was thought too young to wear an army uniform, but a Scout uniform would appear sufficently patriotic.







Christopher Wagner







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Created: Februaruy 28, 1999
Last updated: December 10, 1999