{"id":29911,"date":"2023-10-24T09:55:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T07:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=246969"},"modified":"2023-10-24T11:11:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T09:11:38","slug":"five-outrageous-moments-in-royal-fashion-history","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/five-outrageous-moments-in-royal-fashion-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Five outrageous moments in royal fashion history"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Charles II\u2019s pubic hair wig to mimicking Queen Alexandra\u2019s limp, Rosie Harte shares five outrageous moments in the history of royal fashion\u2026 <\/p>

By Rosie Harte\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 24 October 2023 at 07:55 AM<\/p>

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In their prim coat dresses and pristine uniforms, the royal family are the picture of conservative style \u2013 or at least they are today. With funds and resources aplenty, British royalty has for centuries been the hub of sartorial splendour, with many of its members flaunting some very bizarre trends.<\/p>\n

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Henry VIII\u2019s codpiece causes whispers at court<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

The Tudors<\/a> are not remembered for their moderation; an immense sense of grandeur encourages people to ponder at their portraits, and undoubtedly Tudor fashion contributes to this appeal.<\/p>\n

King Henry VIII<\/a> was considered to be one of the best-dressed rulers of his day. He kept his wardrobe stocked with the newest and finest of trends. Yet if one item of clothing was to characterise his style, no doubt it would be the codpiece.<\/p>\n

\"Henry\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Portrait of Henry VIII. (Photo by Stock Montage\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The codpiece\u2019s origin is easy to trace, as it started out life as a protective garment. In the 1400s, as men\u2019s tunics became increasingly shorter, they began to wear a triangular gusset of fabric to preserve their modesty.<\/p>\n

By the middle of the following century (and during the rule of Henry VIII) that gusset had developed into an erect pouch, made with eye-catching fabric and embellished with ribbons and precious stones.<\/p>\n

That rapid development prompts us to ask the question: what was the role of the codpiece? And what did it mean to those who wore or saw it?<\/p>