Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert until he passed away in 1861. She mourned his death for the rest of her life. This is when the requirements for mourning became stricter.
Every household member (including servants) had to wear mourning clothing when a family member passed away. The rules for what to wear and how long to wear them were complicated. Mourning lasted a long time, and the colour of the clothing lightened (from black) as time went on. Mourning was rather expensive because the clothing had to be fashionable. It was also wasteful since mourning clothing would go out of fashion and be thrown away.
Every household member (including servants) had to wear mourning clothing when a family member passed away. The rules for what to wear and how long to wear them were complicated. Mourning lasted a long time, and the colour of the clothing lightened (from black) as time went on. Mourning was rather expensive because the clothing had to be fashionable. It was also wasteful since mourning clothing would go out of fashion and be thrown away.