Following the conclusion of the Crimean war in March 1856 many military reviews welcoming back brave soldiers were held. As Commander-in-chief of the Military it was Queen Victoria’s duty to attend. However, Victoria was female so didn’t own a military uniform and attending such poignant reviews in her usual green riding habits was off the table. So, in the mid-1850s, it was decided that a new, military uniform would be commissioned and made for the Queen in a style resembling that of a British General. Today two examples of Victoria’s military uniforms survive, with one in the Royal Collection and the other in the collection of the Museum of London.
Both thought to have been made by Meyer & Mortimer, London, the scarlet tunics are both made out of scarlet wool and decorated with white piping, gold braiding and gold buttons. The most noticeable difference between the two tunics is that one is V-necked, while the other is buttoned at the neck like the male uniforms.
RCIN 916806
RCIN 405295
Queen Victoria wore her scarlet tunic for the first time while attending a military camp in Aldershot. By the end of the year she was pregnant with her final child and, as a result, military reviews were put on hold until the following summer. In June 1857 Victoria distributed the first Victoria Crosses. Measuring approximately five foot tall, the Queen entered Hyde Park on horseback with nothing but authority and grace. She was wearing the V-neck tunic, with a long black riding skirt, accompanied by a black wool felt hat, which had been decorated with orange, red and white feathers, replicating a General’s plume. Victoria also wore the Garter Star and a General’s sash, accompanied by a black crepe armband in remembrance of the soldiers that had lost their lives.
Victoria wore both this and the other tunic on several occasions throughout her reign, creating a timeless look that was later replicated and modernised by Queen Elizabeth II.
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