Figure 1.--Prince Charles pictured here at about age 11 often wore kilts as a boy. When not wearing full Highland regalia, he wore his kilts with a tweed jacket or for more casual wear with a sweater. |
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The kilt as we know it today has ancient origins. It is generally associated today with Scotland or the Gaelic peoples of the British Isles and Normandy. The kilts use as a style of boys' clothing is much more recent in origin. In the British Isles, the kilt is mostly associated with Scotland and
to a lesser extent Ireland. Boys in England itself, however, also occassionally wore kilts, especially after Queen Victorian began dressing the princes in Highland kilts during the 1840s. The full extent to which Rnglish boys wore kilts is somewhat difficult to determine. The photographic record shows that while it was not common, neither was it an extremely rare garment. Available photographs often do not indicate who the boy is or where he is from. Thus it is difficilt to determine if it is an English or Scottish boy involved. We mostly see English bpys wear kilts as dress garments. Fpr some boys it was their party outfit.
Boys in England itself occasionally wore kilts, but after Queen Victorian began dressing
the princes in Highland kilts during the 1840s it became more common. The Scottish Highland kilt had become popular in England after Winterhalter painted Queen Victoria's children in 1849. Queen Victoria's sons in 1851 wore kilts at the opening of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition in 1851. [Gagon, p.147.] The boys in the English royal family subsequently were often dressed in kilts. This was the case right through th children of Queen Elizabeth. Prince Charles' sons William and Harry, however, want nothing to do with kilts.
As far as we know, English boys did not begin wearing kilts until Queen Vicyoria and Prince Albert began dressing the young princes in them. This would have been some time in the 1840s, although I am not sure about the precise year. I am not sure just how rapidly the fshion caught on. For some reason we have not been able to find English daguerreotype portaits. We do begin to see English boys dressed in kilts in the 1860s when CDVs become available. The boys involved are boys from aristocratic or affluent families. We continue to see English boys wearing kilts for formal occassions and portraits throughout the 19th century. This continued to be the case in the Edwardian era in the early 20th century. This changed after World War I (1914-18). We see very few such portraits after the War, although there were a few exceptions such as the Royal Family. But they generally only wore kilts when they went up to the royal residence, Balmoral in Scotland.
The full extent to which Rnglish boys wore kilts is somewhat difficult to determine. The photographic record shows that while it was not common, neither was it an extremely rare garment. Available photographs often do not indicate who the boy is or where he is from. Thus it is difficilt to determine if it is an
English or Scottish boy involved. We mostly see English bpys wear kilts as dress garments. Fpr some boys it was their party outfit. Scottish boys may have worn kilts for everday wear or to school. This was not the case for Engliish boys. The kilt was primaryily a dress outfit. Of course as formal clothing was more common in the 19th and early 20th century, the range of events for which dress outfits were worn was much greater than the case with modern boys. And it seems to have been boys from well-to-do families wearing kilts and they tended to dress up more tham working-class and middle-class boys. Most of the photographs we have found of English boys wearing kilts are formal studio portraits, but e have found a few other images.
We are not sure if there were any pronounced regional trends concerning kilts in England. One might think that kilts were most popular in northern England, closer to Scotland. But we have not yet noted that. Kilts seem particuilarly popular in London, presumably because it was the fashion center of the country. Many affluent families lived in London and believed in dressing their children stylishly. Wearing kilts was not, however, just a London sttle. We have, however, noted boys wearing kilt outfits in many different English cities. What ever was popular in London was soon copied throughout the country. One question we are not sure about is to what extent kilts were worn in the country's Celtic fringe--Somerset and Wales. Of course we treat Wales as a separate country, but the issue still stands as to weathrer kilts were more common in the Celtic fringe of westrern Britain. Somerset of course would be the area of England the furthest from Scotland.
We note English boys wearing a range of kilt outfits. They seem to be mostly dressy outfits, including Higland kilts and kilt suits. English boys somrtimes wore kilts with full Higlands regalia. Almost always these were boys from wealthy families. The kilts were worn as dress outfits for formal events. This became fashionable beginning in the mid-19th Century after Queen Victotia and her decendents began dressing the princes in kilts. Few English boys in the 19th Century wore proper Scottish kilts with Highland regalia. Another kilt fashion was the kilt suit. I know that the kilt suit was very commonly worn by American boys in the late 19th Century. American mothers used the kilt suit as an intermediate step between dresses and outfits with kneepants, such as Fauntleroy suits and sailor suits. These mothers were not yet ready to fully breech their sons, but felt that they were becoming to old to still wear dresses. I am not sure if this fashion was as common in England as it was in America. Some English mothers bought kilts for their sons for casual wear. Again this was mostly boys in affluent families. This was most common for English families which spent time in Scotland or the north of England.
English boys somrtimes wore kilts with full Higlands regalia. Almost always these were boys from wealthy families. The kilts were worn as dress outfits for formal events. This became fashionable beginning in the mid-19th Century after Queen Victotia and her decendents began dressing the princes in kilts. Of course there were political reasons for the royal family to do this, but some English mothers chose the kilts costumes for their children because the style appealed to them. We note quite a few such portraits in the photographic record.
Few English boys in the 19th Century wore proper Scottish kilts with Highland regalia. Another kilt fashion was the kilt suit. I know that the kilt suit was very commonly worn by American boys in the late 19th Century. American mothers used the kilt suit as an intermediate step between dresses and outfits with kneepants, such as Fauntleroy suits and sailor suits. These mothers were not yet ready to fully breech their sons, but felt that they were becoming to old to still
wear dresses. I am not sure if this fashion was as common in England
as it was in America. Most of the images I have seen are American, but
this could be simply a reflection of my greater access to American images. Social and economic factors may have affected the popularity of kilt suits. Americans less aware of social, nation and class sentiment in Britain, probably viewed the kilt suit as fashionably British. Americans in the 19th Century were very influenced by European fashion. Some English mothers, like Queen Victoria, may have been smitted with the allure of Scotland. Other English mothers probably viewed Scotland as a bleak, poverty stricken region of Britian and the kilt suit fashion may not have appealed to them.
Some English mothers bought kilts for their sons for casual wear. Again this was mostly boys in affluent families. This was most common for English families which spent time in Scotland or the north of England.
The English royals are of course British and thus dressing the young princes in kilts was an adroit political move. It may, however, reflect more Queen Victoria's love of Scotland. Whatever the reason, each generation of British royals has been dressed in kilts. George V thought the kilt and sailor suit the only
appropriate dress for boys. He gave great attention to what his sons wore, including which kilt outfit should be worn at which occasion. This tradition appears to have come to an ebnd. The current royals, William and
Harry, do not seem ti care for kilts. Unlike previous generations, the boys seem to have considerable say in how they dress.
Of course it is the English royals that are best known for wearing kilts. It was not, however, just princes that wore kilts in England.
Here are some short items dealing with the personal experiences that English boys have experienced concening kilts. They are only short items which do not merit an entirely new page.
This account describes a boy on an isolated English island, about as far away from Scotland as you can get in Britain, wore kilts as a boy during the 1950s.
Gagnon, Louise. "L'apparition des modes enfantines au Québec" (institut québecois de la recherche sur la culture, 1979). Collection Edmond-de-nevers. No 11.
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