Dressing gown, back, probably worn by Prince Albert

This colourful, floral-printed, silk dressing gown is believed to have been worn by Prince Albert (1819-1861), consort to Queen Victoria (1819-901). Surviving examples of Prince Albert's clothing are very rare. Prince Albert's death in 1861 at the age of 42 was a profound shock to Victoria, and she mourned him for the rest of her long life.

The dressing gown was not worn as we might expect today, as a garment to wear over pyjamas before going to bed. Instead it was worn as a soft coat to wear at home instead of a jacket. It would have been worn over a shirt, waistcoat, and trousers. A portrait of Prince Albert by Herbert Luther Smith in the Royal Collection wearing a similar type of dressing robe shows him in a relaxed pose, standing in front of a mantel piece reading, suggesting dressing gowns like this were worn at home at home for leisure or study.

The high collar and double-breasted front fastening are both features of clothing worn by men at the time. Considerable care has been taken over the details of making the dressing gown, including using fabric covered buttons. It has a small coronet embroidered at the back of the neck on the inside.
The dressing gown was cared for by the family of Prince Albert's valet, Rudolph Löhlein, before it was acquired by the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection.