<P> In 2004, the four daughters of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands all wore white to their mother's funeral . In 1993, the Spanish - born Queen Fabiola introduced it in Belgium for the funeral of her husband, King Baudouin I of Belgium . The custom for the Queens of France to wear deuil blanc (white mourning) was the origin of the White Wardrobe created in 1938 by Norman Hartnell for Queen Elizabeth (later called Queen Mother). She was required to make a State visit to France while in mourning for her mother . </P> <P> Today, no special dress or behaviour is obligatory for those in mourning in the general population, although ethnic and religious faiths have specific rituals, and black is typically worn at funerals . Traditionally, however, there were strict social rules to be observed . </P> <P> By the 19th century, mourning behaviour in England had developed into a complex set of rules, particularly among the upper classes . For women, the customs involved wearing heavy, concealing, black clothing, and the use of heavy veils of black crêpe . The entire ensemble was colloquially known as "widow's weeds" (from the Old English waed, meaning "garment"). </P> <P> Special caps and bonnets, usually in black or other dark colours, went with these ensembles . There was mourning jewelry, often made of jet . Jewelry was also occasionally made from the hair of the deceased . The wealthy would wear cameos or lockets designed to hold a lock of the deceased's hair or some similar relic . </P>

When did black become the colour of mourning