Here Princess Mary’s ceremonial robes have been loosened and modified by the artist to fit with the preferred aesthetic for luxurious negligence in attire at the end of the seventeenth century – an effect described as “mixing the fashion with what is painter-like”, which avoided the pitfall of clothing in portraiture appearing outdated. Spotted ermine, the traditional fur of royalty which is used to line the mantle seen here, was created by sewing the black tails of the stoat into the white winter fur of the animal.