It seems very strange for me to see Marie-Antoinette wearing
a dress made of muslin. How times must change. My mother
made sheets and pillow cases to support our family's income
when I was a boy. And I remember it being very stiff, even
after washing before sale. Of course more washings made it
more pliable, but wearing it as the queen did gives me
the shivvers.

When were you Queen, Luke? or are you still?

(Is this a cue for a rendering of "Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly ..."?)

"...Lavender's green
When I am King, dilly dilly
You shall be my Queen."

old english folk song

I remember it being very stiff Perhaps she needed a lot of support...

Never heard it. Sorry.

When I was in Russia, the hotels we stayed in had muslin sheets. They were quite pliable and very comfortable.

"...Lavender's blue
When I am a Queen, dilly dilly
I'll be through with you."

The silly rhymes society

Lavender's blue: wasn't that a song, many years ago?

Yes, Jackie, it was. I forget which group sang it, but it did fairly well in the charts for a week or two over here. I guess we're talking about thirty years ago, when you were jest a lil gal

it was #4 on the pop chart in 1948(!); and there's this, from the same year: link

1948 - jeezlouise! Doesn't time fly when you're havin' a good time. Thanks tsuwm

It's just possible that I heard it in 1948, but I can't quite remember.

I didn't hear it 1948, but I have sung it many times since!

and now, I can't get the darn thing outta my head. [earworm]