Queen's dressmaker reveals how tea was used to perfect the colour of Archie's christening gown
Royal Christenings are steeped in tradition.
And none more so than what the Royal Baby is wearing - which for hundreds of years was a lace gown first commissioned by Queen Victoria for her eldest daughter, Victoria, in 1841.
Since then, 62 British Royal Family members have been christened in that exact gown, including Her Majesty, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
The Queen (left), Prince Charles (second left) and Prince William (centre) were also christened in the original lace gown PA/AAP
However, in 2004, the antique gown was decommissioned by the monarch, with Queen Elizabeth commissioning her dressmaker Angela Kelly to create a new replica version.
Now, in her new book The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe, Kelly reveals the secret to getting the new gown's perfect colouring... and it's all down to a tea bag!
"Together, we sourced lace to complement that being made in Italy, and to make sure it looked authentic we dyed it in Yorkshire tea (the strongest, as we all know)," Kelly says, according to exclusive extracts published in Hello! magazine.
Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor is the latest Royal Baby to be christened wearing the tea-stained replica gown PA
"We placed each piece of lace in a small bowl, from the Dressers' Kitchen, filled with cool water and a tea bag, and left it for about five minutes, checking regularly until the colour was perfect."
LISTEN NOW: A special Royal Baby episode of The Windsors podcast (Post continues.)
"At each stage of the process, I would show our progress to the Queen: first the bodice, then the sleeves attached to it, then the skirt with the under-layers on, and finally the completed robe. Her Majesty was very interested to see how it was developing. From start to finish, it had taken us, appropriately, nine months."
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex's eldest child, Lady Louise was the last to wear the original gown in 2004.
Prince George was christened in the replica gown in 2013 Getty
While younger brother, James, Viscount Severn was the first to wear the new replica gown, in 2008.
Since then the next generation of Royals have worn this modern incarnation of the iconic ensemble.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Archie have all donned the new tea-stained outfit and looked absolutely adorable doing so.
Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Louis at the youngest Cambridge's Christening in 2018 PA
