Reading the Regency

Mourning - Court and Society Mourning

"...the British people is a free people, and we see no reason why every individual of it should not, without any general order, freely and voluntarily, pay this devotion to the worth of the departed Hero ... Every man who chuses to wear black may wear it, and we hope there are but few who will not, by doing so, shew their love for their country."
[A Collection of Cuttings from Newspapers, containing Memoir of Lord Nelson, account of his funeral, official papers relating to the battle of the Nile, etc, pub. 1869]

Court and Society mourning was very different from the personal mourning that followed the loss of family or close friends. In certain cases, mourning could affect the whole country and had very little to do with whether you personally knew the person that had died.

Court Mourning

Court Mourning was the British Royal Court showing respect after the death of a member of the British Royal family or another Royal Family of Europe. Even when a dead king had no formal relationship with the British monarch, either through blood or marriage, they considered each other "brother kings" and mourned accordingly.

Court Mourning was limited to those members of the aristocracy and gentry who spent time at Court. Those aristocratic or gentry families who never attended court would not need to wear Court mourning and it would barely register with the general population.

The rules for Court mourning were not fixed, although they tended to follow a general pattern. Each period of court mourning was announced by the Lord Chamberlain and the official notice was printed in the London Gazette. The length of mourning was based on the degree of relationship of the deceased to the British Royal family.

Lengths and Degrees of Court Mourning

Like personal mourning, Court Mourning had different lengths and degrees, depending on how closely related the king or queen was to the deceased.

The simplest court mourning could last only a few days. In 1800, the court went into mourning for the Prince of Saxe Cobourg. The single period of mourning ran from the 19th October to 23rd October. (five days) Similarly, in 1806, the Prince of Denmark and the Margrave of Anspach were mourned at the same time, between 13th March and 23rd March. (eleven days)

The clothes specified to be worn during those few days of mourning sounded similar to the Half Mourning stage of personal mourning:

"The Ladies to wear Black Silk or Velvet, coloured Ribbons, Fans and Tippets, or plain White, or White and Gold, or White and Silver stuffs, with Black Ribbons. The Gentlemen to wear Black Coats, and Black or plain White and Gold, or White and Silver Stuff Waistcoats, full trimmed, coloured Swords and Buckles."
[Court Mourning for the death of the Duke of Bevern, London Gazette, 13th May 1809]

A closer relationship would require the addition of a second, deeper style of mourning. In 1807, following the death of the Empress of Austria, the court went into mourning on 7th June, changed the mourning on 14th June and then went out of mourning on 18th June. Another example of this type of mourning is Prince George of Brunswick, the king's nephew. In that case they went into mourning on 10th November 1811, changed mourning on 24th November, and went out of mourning on 1st December.

The two separate stages of mourning would have been similar to this example from 1802:

"Orders for the Court's going into mourning on Sunday the 29th ult. for his late Royal Highness Prince Henry of Prussia, viz. --The Ladies to wear black silk, fringed or plain linen, white gloves, necklaces and ear-rings, black or white shoes, fans and tippets. -- Undress, white or grey lutestrings, tabbies, or damasks.-- The Gentlemen to wear black full-trimmed, fringed, or plain linen, black swords and buckles. -- Undress, grey frocks.