A Royal Arrival: Baby clothes worn by royal children throughout history to go on display in London

With just a few weeks to go before the future heir to the British throne makes his or her entry into this mortal coil (my money’s on “his”), it’s fair to say that royal baby fever has swept parts of the world.

The Duchess has retreated from view for the final leg of her pregnancy, however, and this leaves a fairly lengthy gap in public gratification.

Thankfully, the enterprising minds at the Museum of London have everyone covered, particularly when it comes to one key voyeuristic element: Royal baby garb. So this Friday, the museum will open its newest exhibition. A Royal Arrival has been billed as a collection of the clothing worn by many a prospective heir to the British throne from the 17th century onward.

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“This is an opportunity for us to celebrate the much anticipated birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new arrival and to showcase some wonderful items in our collection,” says a museum spokesperson.

“Most of these precious items are rarely seen by members of the public and they mark some incredible moments in the history of our nation.”

As the Daily Mail notes, the museum’s Fashion and Decorative arts curator, Timothy Long, has culled from a collection of tiny shoes, robes, dresses and even crowns worn by the royal issue, with particular emphasis on Queen Victoria’s nine children.

Highlights include leather booties worn by the entire 19th century nonet, all of which appear to be in remarkably well-preserved condition. The collection even features a nursing robe worn by Queen Victoria herself.

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Although the current queen is giving her a serious run for her money, Queen Victoria remains the longest reigning monarch in British history. One of her other claims to fame, and one that continues to endear her to later generations, was the deep love she shared with her husband, Prince Albert.

While their marriage was probably a little less glamorous than the Hollywood treatment it recently received courtesy of Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend, their relationship has become the stuff of legend.

Their relationship also resulted in nine children, some of whom went on to propagate royal lines of their own. For those with a fondness for both history and fashion who also happen to be in the greater London area in the next few months, A Royal Arrival sounds like the sort of thing worth standing in a queue for several hours to see.