Royal Baby Dress: Why Was Prince George Wearing One? Twitter Wants To Know About Traditional Ropon

The royal baby 'dress' that Prince George was wearing during the royal baptism ceremony televised worldwide yesterday has piqued the intrigue of many Twitter users who have never seen a traditional baptism christening gown before. In fact, many of them took to the popular social media outlet to communicate their confusion over the garment, with most echoing the same basic question, "Why was royal baby Prince George wearing a dress?" Many of them would be surprised to learn that the traditional baptism christening gown, the ropón, has been used to baptize generation after generation of British royal. Here's everything you need to know about the history behind how royal Anglican babies are dressed for their first sacrament.

The royal baby 'dress' that Prince George was wearing was crafted to be an exact facsimile of the 1841 Royal Christening Robe once used to baptize Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Royal Victoria. That original royal christening robe, prominently featuring romantic frills echoed today across the formal female garments of many steampunk (Victorian futurism) enthusiasts, was made by Janet Sutherland, the daughter of a Scottish coal miner who rose to prominence and became Embroider to the Queen. It showcased the finest Honiton lace, its already-chic lining finished with couture white satin. Since it was bespoke for Princess Royal Victoria, the royal baby dress has been used by over 60 members of the royal family on their baptism day.

But the royal baby 'dress' we saw yesterday, which had Twitter users asking why Prince George was wearing a dress, was not the same ropón that has served the royal family for more than one-hundred and fifty years. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth II commissioned the royal couturier, Angela Kelly, to create a facsimile that preserved the storied history of the gown all-the-while ensuring its durability for generations of royals to come. In fact, though the gown is only about five years, Prince George isn't even the first royal baby to find himself in the 'dress.' It was baby Viscount Severn James who wore the new model at his christening in Windsor Castle, 2008.

Though the royal baby 'dress' has been used for generations, Twitter users took issue with the fact that an ostensibly male baby was seen wearing a traditional baptism christening gown that looked like something a woman would wear. User @DancerFroggy expressed hir genuine concern for Prince George and his parents choice of attire, remarking "Why is this baby boy wearing a dress? Poor kid." Another user, @NeilDownToMe, took the line of questioning into the realm of the baby's gender identity, wondering if the royal baby is "a boy or a girl" because this user "thought it was a boy but had just seen a photo of it wearing a dress...maybe a tranny?" Even CNN's Chris Cuomo mocked the Royal Baby for wearing "what looks like a dress" Now they know the history, and you do, too.