Court suit, back, associated with King George III

While this court suit is relatively plain in comparison with other more elaborately embroidered styles popular at the time, it would still have been an expensive purchase. It is made from hand-woven silk in a small repeating pattern called 'droguet' (a french term meaning silk fabric with motifs) a costly and elegant fabric.

The red base colour made it even more expensive by as the costly dye had to be used in large quantities to achieve the correct shade. Originally the fabric colour was a deeper red. It is thought the suit was exposed to prolonged periods of daylight in the past which accounts for the significant variations of colour we can see today.

It is associated with King George III who had a reputation for avoiding overtly extravagant dress, so much so that this and his liking for a simpler life, away from the London court working with the farms that at the time were part of the Windsor estate, led to some calling him 'Farmer George'.