Clothing in portraiture can offer us unique insights into a particular person or period. Depictions of dress can tell us about the fashion of the time, about how the sitter wanted to be seen by others, and about wider social and cultural practices.
The dress and fashions in royal portraiture are no different. Coronation portraits, for example, demonstrate how in some cases royal fashion changed very little over hundreds of years. In other instances, looking at royal clothing in portraiture can open up discussion of the character of the person who wore it and how they wanted to be seen by their subjects.
Notorious for having bad father-son relationships, the first Hanoverian monarchs of the eighteenth century were all painted in ways which both fit with the social and cultural trends of the time, as well as in ways where their clothes tell us a little bit about their life or personality.
George II, for instance, was the last British monarch to lead an army into battle, so it makes sense that there are a number of portraits and paintings which show him on horseback and wearing the red coat of military uniform.
His grandson, George III, was a very different character. At court events and celebrations such as a monarch's birthday, George wore clothing befitting his royal status: elaborate silk suits, often highly decorated with embroidery, were the ticket to the Georgian court.
But, he craved a simpler life and he was fascinated by botany and agriculture, earning him the nickname 'Farmer George'. In private, George liked to 'dress down' and there were many stories of him mingling unrecognised with his subjects because he was not dressed as they expected.
Although it may look smart to us, the 'Windsor uniform', which George III introduced in 1777, is one example of his frugal nature manifesting in his clothing.
Originally intended only to be worn at Windsor, this dark-blue suit was soon worn by the King, his family and close members of the court. George wore it so often that it even appeared in satirical cartoons, used as a device by the artists to make him instantly recognisable. Variations of the Windsor uniform are still worn by the royal family today.
Perhaps in response to his father's hold on the purse strings, George IV is well known for his fondness for expensive art, food and clothes. His coronation in 1821 was one of the most extravagant – and expensive – in British history.
He designed his robes himself, looking to the Tudor and Stuart era for design inspiration, and the result was a pageant of unseen proportions that cost £9.5 million in today's money. It was so costly that when his brother, William IV, inherited the throne in 1830 he considered not having a coronation at all.
George IV's coronation was not the last time that he demonstrated extravagant style.
English Heritage, The Wellington Collection, Apsley House
In 1822 he visited Edinburgh where he dressed in an elaborate Highland outfit which left no doubt as to his kingly status. It was made from lengths of satin, velvet and cashmere tartan and was accompanied by a wealth of accessories – including a bonnet with a gold- and jewel-encrusted badge, a dirk (dagger) with an emerald-encrusted hilt, and gold buckles – with the whole outfit costing approximately £58,000 in today's money. The overall look was somewhat spoiled, however, by his unwillingness to expose his knees to public view, so he wore flesh-coloured trousers under his kilt!
It is important to recognise that clothing in portraiture should not always be taken at face value. Just as we crop and edit photographs today, portraiture was a highly staged medium which could have exaggerated features, have particular propaganda behind it, or be purposefully sycophantic. Nevertheless, these few examples here (which are just the tip of the iceberg) can show how looking at the clothing in royal portraiture can be the start of a much larger story.
Sally Tuckett, lecturer in dress and textile histories at the University of Glasgow
You can find out more with 'A History of Royal Fashion' – a free online course created by the University of Glasgow and Historic Royal Palaces
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (26 September 1748 – 7 March 1810) was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.
Cuthbert Collingwood was born in 1748 at Morpeth, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His father was an unsuccessful merchant. He entered the Navy as a volunteer under the patronage of Admiral Braithwaite and was posted to the frigate Shannon in 1761. His early career was spent on the North American station and he was at the abortive British attack on Bunker’s Hill, Boston, in 1775. Acquitted by court martial for disobedience of orders, he made captain in 1780, and took command of the Hinchingbroke in succession to Horatio Nelson, and thereafter his career closely shadowed that of his friend.
He served at some of the most famous battles of this period, including The Glorious First of June in 1794 and The Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1797. However, as one of the most famous naval engagements in history, it is for the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 that Collingwood will be most remembered.
As the engagement began on 21st October, the British Fleet split into two columns. The first was led by Nelson aboard HMS Victory, while the second was led by Collingwood on HMS Royal Sovereign. As Nelson headed towards the vanguard of the Franco-Spanish Fleet, Collingwood raced towards its rear. The Franco-Spanish Fleet attempted to turn back for Cadiz, but the attempt caused only confusion. Collingwood was the first to break through the Franco-Spanish line and raked the bows of the Fougueux, which had previously fired the first shots of the day.
On Nelson's death during the Battle of Trafalgar, Collingwood assumed command of the fleet. Following the surrender of the Franco-Spanish Fleet, Collingwood went against Nelson's order to go to anchor once the battle had ended, in order to ride out the coming storm. Perhaps wanting to get away from the dangerous shoreline, and aware that many of the heavily damaged ships did not have the ability to go to anchor regardless of what orders he gave, Collingwood instead led the fleet to safety through a violent storm which lasted a week. No British ships were lost in either the battle or the storm. The Battle of Trafalgar saw Britain triumph over Napoleon at sea.
Here is the full-length portrait to the right, showing Collingwood in rear-admiral’s full dress uniform of the 1795–1812 pattern (with inaccuracies), wearing his medals for the First of June, St Vincent and the Trafalgar.
GearHomie has cosplayed his uniform as a way to show our admiration to this great historical hero. It is a way to help you portray, get infinitely closer to the historical characters and possibly turn you into different versions of yourselves. The real uniform may be too heavy and bulky to wear in a daily basis. Don't worry because our all over printing costume is much lighter, comfortable and casual and extremely detailed. We pay close attention to details of the original uniform and make it more vibrant. We hope that everyone can own one and become the hero you admire from now on. HERE IT IS:
The world has considered the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as a great age of sail and great age of heroes. The glorious tales of derring-do and courage as well as the stories of sacrifice and suffering has been widely recognized until now. In this era, never do people forget one of the greated leaders of British Naval history which is Horatio Nelson.
Lord Nelson took part in many battles such as the battles of Cape St. Vincent and the Nile or the battle of Copenhagen. However, he is best known for his last victory at the Battle of the Trafalgar in the Napoleonic Wars. The Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805 was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars.
As part of Napoleon's plans to spread control to England, the French and Spanish fleets combined to take control of the English Channel and provide the Grande Armée safe passage. The allied fleet, under the command of French Admiral Villeneuve, sailed from the port of Cádiz in the south of Spain on 18 October 1805. They encountered the British fleet under Lord Nelson, recently assembled to meet this threat, in the Atlantic Ocean along the southwest coast of Spain, off Cape Trafalgar.
Nelson commanded 27 British ships of the line to fight against 33 allied ships including the largest warship in either fleet, the Spanish Santisima Trinidad. To address this imbalance, Nelson sailed his fleet directly at the allied battle line's flank, hoping to break it into pieces. Villeneuve had worried that Nelson might attempt this tactic but, for various reasons, had made no plans in case this occurred. The plan worked almost perfectly; Nelson's columns split the Franco-Spanish fleet in three, isolating the rear half from Villeneuve's flag aboard Bucentaure. The allied vanguard sailed off while it attempted to turn around, giving the British temporary superiority over the remainder of their fleet. The ensuing fierce battle resulted in 22 allied ships being lost, while the British lost none.
The tactic exposed the leading ships in the British lines to intense fire from multiple ships as they approached the Franco-Spanish lines. Nelson's own HMS Victory led the front column and was almost knocked out of action. However, Nelson died after receiving the news of the victory. Nelson was shot by a French musketeer and died shortly before the battle ended.
Following the battle, the Royal Navy was never again seriously challenged by the French fleet in a large-scale engagement. Napoleon had already abandoned his plans of invasion before the battle and they were never revived.
It can be easily realized that Vice Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson was a national hero thanks to his naval tactics. Lord Nelson's victories and great courage caught the public imagination of his time, and he was considered a hero.
Nowadays, Vice Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson has been tributed in the museums, songs or poems. As a history lover, GearHomies would like to show the highest respect to this great and brave admiral by cosplaying Nelson costume.
What do you think of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and his victory. Feel free to leave us a comment below!
Napoleonic Wars was a series of wars between Napoleonic France and shifting alliances of other European powers that produced a brief French hegemony over most of Europe. The French Army was commanded by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte during the Napoleonic Wars.
In total, about 2.8 million Frenchmen fought on land, and about 150,000 at sea, bringing the total for France to almost 3 million combatants. Most of the men in Napoleon’s Grande Armée were conscripts drawn from the poorer classes. Every able-bodied man of age in France was expected to willingly join the ranks to defend the Republic – or risk losing citizenship.
The Napoleonic army was made up of three combat arms: the artillery, the infantry, and the cavalry. The infantry bore the brunt of most of the fighting, and their performance resulted in victory or defeat. The infantry was made up of grenadiers, riflemen, cuirassiers, and skirmishers, who fought on foot and used rifles. The infantry was divided up into two major types, the Infantry of the Line and the Light Infantry.
The second combat arm is the cavalry. The cavalry was made up of dragoons, cuirassiers, carabiniers, lancers, chasseurs, and hussards, who were all mounted on horseback and fought with lances, sabres, or swords as well as pistols. The French artillery soldiers posed an important role in the military victories of Napoleon. When Napoleon became the First Consul he established a large artillery staff under his own control. Officers from this staff supervised the production of ammunition, cannons, and howitzers, the operation of the artillery schools, and the armament of fortresses. Officers from this staff served in the field armies, army corps, and fortresses.
The French artillery soldiers posed an important role in the military victories of Napoleon. When Napoleon became the First Consul he established a large artillery staff under his own control. Officers from this staff supervised the production of ammunition, cannons, and howitzers, the operation of the artillery schools, and the armament of fortresses. Officers from this staff served in the field armies, army corps, and fortresses.
From 1804 to 1808, the Grande Armée won a series of military victories that allowed the French Empire to exercise unprecedented control over most of Europe. They made a great contribution to the victory of Napoleon and the rise in power of France on the continent until the loss at Waterloo in 1815. The armies of Napoleon Bonaparte were dedicated to their cause which is exporting their reforming values to the rest of Europe. Their loyalty to Napoleon led them fight hard for him. Until now, the French Army is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest fighting forces ever assembled in history
At GearHomie, we have been designing historical and historically inspired dresses for years. We want to recreate the image of the loyal, powerful and dedicated Grande Armée in this wars. Many of our designs are inspired by the French Army Uniform in the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815). Each design is original and was drafted exclusively by GearHomie. We highly believe that what we wear is more than just material sewn together to protect us, our clothes are a signifier of our interest, identity, and culture. If you are a history lover and have a strong desire to spread your interest in the Napoleonic Wars, don't miss out on our casual French Army Tracksuit.
Click HERE and find down more of what we have! We would also love to hear your thoughts about the Napoleonic Wars in general and the French Army in particular. Feel free to share your thoughts!
