Royalty in our midst

The daughter of Queen Victoria, PrincessLouise (Kate Grant), and her husband, the Marquis of Lorne, arrivedin Halifax after a stormy crossing. (Nick PearcePhoto)

November 25, 1878 was a remarkable day for Haligonians—aday when royalty stepped into their midst.

With shaky legs and possibly a green cast to her visage,Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, arrivedinto the port town. She had actually spent two days aboard the shipSarmatian in the harbour, trying to recoverfrom a difficult Atlantic crossing. The weather wasso stormy that the ship's foresail and mainsail were lost duringthe voyage.

On Saturday evening at the Lord Nelson Hotel, third-yearstudents in the Costume Studies Programme recreated thecelebrations that greeted the arrival of the vice regalcouple with a celebration of their own: a showcase ofhistorical dress that again filled the hotel’s GeorgianLounge with an overflowing crowd.

SEE PHOTOS: The Royal Visit of 1878 (Nick PearcePhotos)

For weeks, the students have been at the costume studies studio(located at City Centre Atlantic by Pete’s Frootique),drafting, cutting and sewing long into the nights. Each researcheda historical couple who would have lived in Halifax during theroyal visit and completely recreated the finery they may have wornto official ceremonies: the man's white tie and tails and thewoman's gown. 

“Every clap we got was a minute of sleep we didn’tget,” quipped Jenn Mills, who portrayed Sarah Maria Tuttle,the first wife of Dr. Richard Chapman Weldon, the first Dean ofDalhousie
Law School.

She was walking past the Weldon law building on UniversityAvenue as she pondered who to research, and noticing the historicalplaque, decided on Dean Weldon. But while finding out biographicaldetails about him was no problem—the Halifax papers put outentire special editions upon his death—discovering anythingabout his wife was much more difficult.

“She exists in three documents: her marriage certificate,a birth certificate for her eldest son and her deathcertificate,” said Ms. Mills. But along with the marriagecertificate came a true treasure: a tiny, three-inch-by-five-inchwedding portrait of the stylish pair.

“It was awesome and I may have yelled in the archives andthey may have shushed me,” she laughed, dressed inSarah’s wedding gown, made of beige twill and embellishedwith metre upon metre of purple silk trim and antique stampedbuttons.

Making the gowns was one challenge, wearing them was another.Carly Beamish, who portrayed Anna Leonowens, was the brave studentenlisted to get dressed entirely on stage so audience members couldget an idea of what was involved.

Wearing nothing but knickers and a thin cotton chemise, Ms.Beamish was then laced into a black corset, which cinched her waistand showed off her classic Victorian shape to full effect. Thencame the bustle, an undergarment to give fullness to the back ofthe gown, and an underskirt. On top, she donned the overskirt, madeof purple silk and trimmed with fringe and velvet bands, and thelacy, form-fitting bodice.

“It was a very flirtatious period,” said ProfessorLynn Sorge-English as Ms. Beamish modeled the complete outfit.“The women were so boned and trussed, yet it was all‘come
hither, come hither.’”

As Karen Bennett, dressed in an exquisite red silk ball gown,remarked: “It feels like you’re wearing a nice hug andeverything is ‘ssshhhupt’ into place.”