Postillion uniform

This coatee is from the State Full Dress for a Postillion of the Royal Household in use in 1902. The coatee has inscriptions written on the lining: 'Postillion to HM The King', '1902' and the names 'West' and 'K Stevens'. It was acquired for the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection with the hat and boots, and a pair of jodphurs which are not shown here. The jodphurs are now a larger size than the coatee, as they have been let out, so can not be mounted with it. It is not clear if all the items are the same age, or were assembled to form a complete outfit before they entered the collection.

The coatee's buttons are of 'King's Crown' pattern, so in use from 1902 to 1952, during the reigns of kings Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII and George VI. The coatee also carries the embroidered badge and cypher for Queen Elizabeth II, who came to the throne in 1952. This has been has stuck on with an adhesive. The tunic also has many rough sewn repairs, showing that it was repaired many times as it wore out with use.

Although the early provenance of the uniform is not known before it entered the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection in 1993, these elements all show the history of the object. They suggest it must have been passed from wearer to wearer for at least 50 years, and worn to ceremonial occasions over five reigns. This alteration is not unusual as uniforms such as these were not usually the private property of an individual but issued to them for their role and surrendered and returned to the organisation's store for re-issue when the individual left the post. This explains the presence of the several names inked onto the coatee's lining, inside the jodhpurs and the hat.

Although there are some surviving records for Royal Household staff from the early 20th century, unfortunately these do not mention the names recorded in these items, meaning more research is needed to establish the early history of this uniform.