Figure 1.--Prince Albert is seen here in 1896. Both Albert and his brother David boys wear frilly white dresses. We think all of their dresses were white. Notice the natural curls.

George VI and his older brother David (Edward VIII) wore white lacy dresses, although not at such advanced ages as their father. One picture shows George the VI in a carriage wearing a long lacy dress at 2 years of age (figure 1). An older boy (probably his brother Bertie--Edward VIII), also in a lacy dress, is standing beside him. The dresses look to be identical to what a girl might have worn. We think all of their dresses were white. At least we have not found photographs of the the boys in colored dresses. They are not boy dresses made especially for boys with plainer styling or other featurs such as front buttons. For a short time both Albert and his brother wore dresses together for a short period. We are not entirely sure when Albert was breached, but we think about his fourth birtday. We are not sure to what extent the same practice and timing was followed for the other boys.

Sources

Bradford, Sarah. The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1995-1952 (New York: St. Marin's Press, 1989), 506p.

Created: September 28, 2001
Last updated: 8:33 PM 9/18/2009