weddings

Prince George breaks shorts-only rule at the royal wedding. Wears pants for the first time.

If you were one of the many people watching the royal wedding with your eyes glued to Prince George, you may have noticed that his outfit was a little different than usual.

The four-year-old royal is always spotted in shorts, and never in full-length pants, even during the winter.

That’s why when George arrived at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the weekend, all his biggest fans were discussing his attire, which was a miniature version of the Blues and Royals coat that Prince Harry and William wore.

The tiny coat was matched with a pair of custom-made black pants made by Savile Row tailors Dege & Skinner with a striking red stripe down the side. And they were full-length.

Prince George at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding. Image: Getty.
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Despite England’s cold weather, the royal wedding was the first time Prince George has worn long pants in public. That doesn’t mean his parents, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, are putting him out to fend for himself in the freezing cold.

The young Prince is often spotted with knee high socks with a pair of shorts in the winter, even at the wedding of his aunt, Pippa Middleton.

“It is considered very suburban for a little boy to be in long trousers when he is just a little boy,” said the Editor-in-Chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward, in an interview with People. “Boys wear trousers until they are 8… it is very English."

prince george pippa middleton wedding
Prince George wore knee-length shorts with long socks at Pippa Middleton's wedding. Image: Getty.
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Etiquette expert, William Hanson, also said the tradition is very classed.

“Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England,” he told Harper's Bazaar UK.

"This is, historically, perhaps due to the practice of 'breeching', which dates back to the sixteenth century. A newborn boy would be dressed in a gown for their first year or two (these gowns have survived as the modern Christening robe) and then he was 'breeched' and wore articles of clothing that more resembled shorts or trousers than dresses."

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked a milestone not only for the happy couple but for the very stylish Prince George too.