It’s one of the big stories of the week: Buckingham Palace’s Tuesday evening diplomatic reception, and how one of the “Dull Four” was unceremoniously benched. While there’s still a conspiracy of silence about the Princess of Wales’s absence, that just frees us up to discuss the fashion statements of the king and queen. I was somewhat appalled by Camilla’s dated look and feathered hair, and I didn’t really think the diamond-and-aquamarine suite was all that great either. But maybe I just hate that Camilla regularly raids QEII’s old jewels. But what if the bigger story was always King Charles’s knickerbockers?? For some reason, Charles decided that a white-tie reception was the moment to wear knickerbockers and hosiery. Or, as the Times noted, “King Charles finally gets to wear his banned coronation breeches.” Reader, I am still giggling. “Banned Coronation Breeches” is a collection of words we all need in our lives.
They were the subject of much discussion in the Palace last year: should the King wear his traditional breeches on the coronation day or something more modern? After much deliberation, Charles III opted for a pair of Royal Navy trousers for his crowning at Westminster Abbey. On Tuesday night, however, the King’s traditional satin breeches, complete with matching black silk stockings, finally got their outing at a Buckingham Palace reception for the Diplomatic Corps.
Around his left leg was a garter inscribed with the words honi soit qui mal y pense. This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry, and translates broadly as “shame on he who thinks ill of it”. The phrase is featured on some British coins and surrounds the shield on the royal coat of arms.
At the palace reception, the King, Queen and Prince of Wales hosted more than 1,500 guests from around 130 different countries. Men were told to wear national dress, white tie or court dress, which includes knee breeches for male members of the royal family. It was also an opportunity for the King to rewear his bespoke £3,500 opera pumps with “family buckle” that were made especially for the coronation by Tony Gaziano. The shoemaker from Kettering, Northamptonshire, who had visited the King several times before last year’s service, later described the sovereign’s feet as “delicate”.
I hope Kate Mansey giggled as she wrote this, because I certainly laughed A LOT while I read it. There are so many good lines, so many hilarious details. The would-be coronation breeches/knickerbockers “finally got their outing” and “an opportunity for the King to rewear his bespoke £3,500 opera pumps.” A family buckle!! The inscription on the garter! The shoemaker who described Charles’s feet as delicate! Come on, this is amazing. Even anti-monarchists begrudgingly admit that Charles’s reign is hilarious and gothic and sort of brilliantly out of touch. When he was diagnosed with cancer, people went on TV and spoke about his love of “potions.” His first portrait as king looked like it had been dipped in blood. Blood-soaked horses broke free and ran through the streets of London in what can only be described as a harbinger of doom. I’m just saying, the imagery of Charles’s reign is really something.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
-
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday November 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Diplomatic. Photo credit should read: Aaron,Image: 936503943, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon/Avalon
-
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday November 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Diplomatic. Photo credit should read: Aaron,Image: 936503979, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon/Avalon
-
- Queen Camilla during the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday November 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Diplomatic. Photo credit should read: Aaron,Image: 936504000, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon/Avalon
-
- King Charles III during the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London Featuring: King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 19 Nov 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in London. Picture date: Tuesday November 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Diplomatic. Photo credit should read: Aaron,Image: 936503943, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon/Avalon
Camzilla’s brooch with a picture of Chuck reminds me a lot of Pete Davidson who used to tattoo the names of girlfriends on his skin. It also reminds me of Shakespeare due to this: “Blood-soaked horses broke free and ran through the streets of London in what can only be described as a harbinger of doom.”
Richard III rather famously called out, “My kingdom for a horse!” There you go, Chuck, honi soit qui mal y pense.
Well… I always thought that quote was Henry V but just googled it and of course you are right and I am wrong!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I saw those britches and his gold buckle shoes and thought WTF is he doing wearing that out to a black tie event. He is like a spoiled child and he insisted, by probably having a right royal tantrum, on wearing those ridiculous britches.
It was a white tie event. He wouldn’t wear them at a black tie event.
😆😂🤣 That’s all I’ve got.
He looks ridiculous and out of touch.
“Shame on he who thinks ill of it.” So what is “it”referring to? The crown?
It’s from an old medieval story where a woman’s garter fell off, and the king said that line, to defend her.
Ah! Thank u. Ok yes very medieval.
I believe that was joan of Kent.
It was Joan of Kent, She was married a few times. Her last husband was Edward, the Black Prince and their son was the ill fated Richard II.
LOL! Those opera shoes!
I think what BP is missing is that traditions that were charming on QEII just look dated and silly now. People accepted it as tradition with QEII because it had been that way for decades and was seen as part of her charm – the consistency and tradition associated with her reign.
Charles has always been seen as sort of a stop gap monarch since it was apparent he would be older when he became king, and so I think there has been a lot of forward looking so to speak to William’s reign which everyone assumes will be more modern*. So its sort of jarring to see Charles embrace all these traditions that at this point don’t seem “traditional” they just seem out of touch.
*what’s now becoming clear obviously is that a “modern” monarchy for William means no work but all the perks.
Maybe part of the reason some of this hits differently is the gender difference in clothing? Wedding dresses, the Oscars, and ballgowns all share some of the same DNA, whereas breeches and shoes with big “family” buckles look odd. So QE2 dressing up hit differently than KC3.
Yes, I think that’s it. At least the buckled shoes didn’t have high heels like in the 18th century.
I don’t know about the buckled shoes lol, but these knee breeches aren’t new. Phillip wore them, Charles has worn them before and so has William.
I think its just so jarring now because it seems to emphasize how out of touch they are.
If Charles lives another 20 years, then William’s reign will be nothing more than a stop-gap for George’s reign and so on and so on. It might be generations before the British people have another young monarch. #AbolishTheMonarchy
Banned Coronation Breeches is so the name of my next rock band, y’all! And I love them, because William has to wear them because he’s in the Order of the Garter and he always has such a pained expression on his face in the group photo (Ed. note: there was no such photo this year AFAIK?)
Yes! The second I read that, I was hoping that a rock band would see fit to take it on!
(I’m not into the right kinds of music for it, but I’m hoarding Great Heathen Army for my own band, should that change. lol)
In the picture above he’s in the background and it looks like he s in trousers, not breeches? Defying Charles again it seems
@Duch – Yes, William is wearing trousers, not breeches.
@Lady Esther – No group photo this year because Princess Dolittle was missing. Still crickets from the press about her absence.
I so wish that I were alive in 100 years to see how history remembers the House of Windsor under Elizabeth, Charles and William. For as much as they and their press PR arm try to rewrite history, my feeling is that history will be less than kind to this bunch. Gosh, I wish that I could see it🤣
I think history will be indifferent to Charles and William as having no real power and a lack of skill in their role as head of state. QEII had some skill as head of state— she had a humility and dignity and steadiness that her sons and William are lacking.
@Harla – So do I.
This! I might buy a ouija board for my great grandchildren and ask them to contact me when this shit goes down and when Philip’s will is made public
Charles looks ridiculous (but then, I thought they all looked ridiculous in their cheap robes and tat at the coronation, so what do I know) and I have to say that culottes and pilgrim shoes are a bold choice for an evening dinner. 😂
How tonedeaf can a whole institution be?
CIII slumlording it over the peasant taxpayers who fund his extravagant eccentricities like silk stockings which should have been left where they belong, in the 18th century.
Abolish the monarchy.
You don’t think that the peasants will take heart that their beloved leader *finally* gets to wear his fancy breeches and “bespoke £3,500 opera pumps with family buckle”? What an inspiring story!
OMG… Shiny Patent leather Mayflower shoes! What is wrong with this man! ??? Who in their right mind would ever think these are a good choice? Jeez Louise..
He looks like an elderly extra in a,play about the pilgrims.those shoes.
Charles looks like he should be ringing a bell, shouting “Hear ye, hear ye”.
“Here Ye, Hear ye…THE BRITISH ARE COMING! Time for a tea party!!!
Yeah, his breeches are no big deal but those shoes!
🤣😳 🤣
This is exactly the kind of crap Frasier Crane would wear if he were ever to be invited to a royal event.
And n i l e s would be competing about who wore the best outfit
It’s honestly not too far off from when Niles dressed up like Cyrano de Bergerac for Halloween.
How I wish he’d rocked up to the gladiator premier wearing the breeches and buckle shoes! I actually think that might’ve worked.
Camilla just proves the old saying, “ you can put the Crown Jewels on a 🐷, but it’s still a 🐷.” Or something like that 😉.. As for whatever Chuck was wearing at first I thought he was wearing leggings of some kind, definitely not flattering.
Can someone please name a racehorse “Banned Coronation Breeches”? 🤞
Just waiting on the race commentary now 🤞
Prince Edward future king Edward 8 was forced to wear those outfits with buckles on the shoes
I like it. It’s court dress, which was the dress code. If the monarchy doesn’t harken back to this kind of thing, what is its point? Rather this than William with 3 open shirt buttons convincing us how normal he is.
I live in a Dutch monarchy. The king doesn’t wear this (or the fake military garb so beloved of the BRF). Right now, the monarchy here is losing in popularity, but not because of having phased out ancient clothing. I agree that I don’t want an open-chested Egg assaulting my eyeballs.
I don’t think KC pulls off this look convincingly. Given that the Times are referring to these as “banned breeches” and his “delicate feet,” I don’t think they were entirely sold on it either. KC doesn’t wear it with confidence–it looks like he’s wearing a costume while everyone else is dressed up.
Imagine the painful experiences of Charles “dressers” and “valets” helping him put on that antiquated outfit. Stephen Barry, one of Charles valets in the seventies and eighties wrote how fussy Charles was about his wardrobe.
You know what? We would have no problem seeing Jonathan Bailey rock up to some premiere wearing the same thing, so I’m going to let Chuckles have his fun by being certainly one of the last if not the last British monarch to make this type of fashion statement. Does he look ridiculous? Perhaps! (Yes, he does.) But honestly, why not? It’s his party.
I rather like it when Charles gets his dandy on. It really is remarkable how much the men are pushing boundaries with their style now that Lizzie is gone.
Does anyone know if Prince Philip ever wore knee breeches and buckle shoes?
I had to google “Prince Philip knee breeches” and – yes, he did. There are photos of him when he was young, but also a very recent one with the whole family. All the men are wearing knee breeches and garters – also, patent leather dress pumps, but no jeweled buckles.
https://www.newsweek.com/why-king-charles-not-wear-pants-coronation-1777524
Thanks for the link. so many questions here about him doing this as if it wasn’t the norm. To him it is. I think if he had worn the same shoes he had worn in all those old pictures with his mom it would have been presented differently.
Then next year he could have “upgraded” to his new ball shoes.
Thanks for the link. Hi so many questions about him doing this as if it wasn’t the norm. To him it is. I think if he had worn the same shoes he had worn in all those old pictures with his mom it would have been presented differently.
Then next year he could have “upgraded” to his new ball shoes.
Wow. Looking at King George Vl on that link we can see the model for Charles’ buckled shoes AND the purple and gold blouse that Charles wore at his coronation.
I swear this guy wants to be a king like in the olden days, with his ermine robes, purple blouse, gold buckled bespoke shoes for his delicate feet, and new golden carriage.
Poor Charles just doesn’t realized that he has timed out. He had to wait too long to “replace” his mother or to be in his mother’s role. Umpteen generations and a new century. He created a role for himself as Prince of Wales, but he quit growing from that. He wanted to be a sovereign like his mother for so long, he doesn’t realize that to say relevant he needs to re-imagine the role. He looks ridiculous, and pathetic- an old man out of his time. To be honest, I think Philip looked ridiculous when he wore the get-up. Charles has been wearing it for years while he was Prince of Wales. I guess he doesn’t have the imagination to give them up. What might of have still been historical and traditional during Queen Elizabeth’s time just is now out of touch. Mind you, it was always William that the press touted to be “the change” that was needed. I believe the “change” William will bring is to live like a king, do nothing, and not be seen. So much for the late Queen’s mantra “I must be seen to be believed.”
Oh, I think he totally knows that he’s timed out. I think it’s been the great frustration of his life, even greater than Diana and Camilla. Becoming king at 74 and getting cancer the next year, pretty much ended the idea of re-imagining anything. He’s just hanging on as long as he can.
Can’t wait to see old Willy boy in this horrible getup 😈 He will be so humiliated.
he’s worn it before. It’s a status thing so I’m not sure how humiliating they find it.
He looks like an ass. If this outfit was banned from the coronation, it’s because it should not have been worn period, not just put off for a later date.
Chuckles’ legs are too short and stumpy to wear anything that stops mid-way down. Frankly they are too short and stumpy for him to even wear the cuffs on his trousers that he appears to prefer. But this. This takes it to DEFCON 1.
Meanwhile people are suffering without adequate healthcare, no food or heat.
Well, one things for certain. No one can accuse Chuck of not playing the role well of “The Jolly Ole King” with his beloved “Guinevere” by his side. 😂
Sounds like Kate’s not the only royal that likes to cosplay and dress up. Charles is probably imagining himself as all sorts of past ancestors. It would explains those tacky Halloween capes at his coronation.
Watching the video of the horse running through London dishes in blood(knowing it made a full recovery) it’s tickling my schadenfreude bone a little bit. Only knowing the horse wasn’t seriously injured. It does seem like an omen.
I actually love the breeches and think they match the formality of what the Diplomatic Reception should be – the highest of white tie affairs.
They matched under QE2 with the diamonds and white and ultra glam. With Camilla, this year, she looked like she was getting ready for bed in a dressing gown. I also love that tiara she wore, but it is youthful and fun and looks like it belongs on an 18 year old at her first formal dinner. I think Camilla’s outfit was a total miss and didn’t match the formality of Charles’s outfit. I
Maybe he found his long lost shiny shoes at the back of his wardrobe and the breeches were the only trousers he had that would show them off
me thinks King Charles feels that by honoring the traditions no matter how outdated, he is somehow preserving the monarchy’s mystique
It’s giving “I wore my satin knee breaches for the occasion”
It’s hard to believe that Charles is a baby boomer. He is so antiquated and Belle Epoque. Those shoes look like they belong to GeorgeIII. Meanwhile, Camilla’s dress is a dish rag.
If he thought he could get away with it he would dress like the sun king Louis 14 Louis had those garters also.