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.
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."
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.
Top Comments
"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."
Pippa was married in May, which is late Spring in Europe. That would also explain why the flower girls were all wearing short sleeve dresses at the same occasion.
I wonder what he's wearing at home in winter. Hopefully he's running around in a pair of trackies or something. Seems a bit silly to put a kid in shorts all year round, even with long socks. As a teenager who had to wear a skirt to school in winter, I can tell you, the long socks do not compensate!
It makes me wonder how much of this is a "rule" and how much of it is just what they prefer for official events. I've also read that there's a no denim rule but just the other day, I saw a video on the family's official YouTube channel, showing Kate (and possibly Harry too - couldn't quite tell) in jeans. It was a very informal video, with Kate, William and Harry just sitting around a picnic table talking about mental health, so presumably, the informal clothing was seen as appropriate.
Incidentally though, I'm glad my school had us wear stockings instead of long socks in winter! Long socks actually weren't allowed at all - they'd get you sent to the uniform shop for a loaner pair of stockings.
We were allowed to wear *grey* tights (gross), a lot of us would double up, socks over tights. So glad my high school days are over!
I wore two pairs of tights in Winter with my uniform skirt. Came in handy when I was hit by a car.
Ours were grey too. I didn't mind them *too* much but I have seen other women wearing them for fashion in recent years and I just can't!