It’s been one of the most tumultuous years of King Charles’ life; his accession to the role after the death of his mother in September and the furore around Harry & Meghan’s Netflix series have made a particular annus horribilis. Which is why, for his first Christmas Day speech as King, he chose a safe and familiar style formula to fortify him for the task at hand.
The King, speaking from St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle - Queen Elizabeth II’s final resting place and a symbol of the generational shift in sovereign - chose an ensemble that’s stood him in good stead across the years. A cobalt blue single-breasted suit with a discreet windowpane check, alongside a blue tie with a discreet floral design and abstract-check pocket square in a similar colourway.
The decision to recycle the same combination for such an important occasion suggests it’s a set-up that the King’s comfortable with, and also underlines his enduring message of sustainability. Talking to shirtmaker Emma Willis alongside the Telegraph back in 2020, he emphasised the importance of re-wearing clothes, saying ‘people throw so much away when they could easily mend’ and over the decades he’s steadfastly worn his trusty Anderson & Sheppard coat, grey suit (with mended patch on the jacket) and a faithful old Barbour jacket repaired many times over, worn on a special edition of Countryfile in 2013.
King Charles has previously worn the suit with the same tie and pocket square combination in 2019 for an event at Lambeth Palace, and the same ensemble with similar coloured accessories to meet with Donald Trump in the same year; clearly it’s his armour of choice for testing moments, because at this occasion the former president reportedly kept him waiting for more than an hour.
The suit in question is likely to be from Anderson & Sheppard, his favourite Mayfair tailor who have also outfitted the Duke of Windsor, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant, although of course Savile Row institutions are famously discreet about the details of royal dressing.
Such establishments have received a great deal of support from the then-Prince Charles; in 2010 he started the Campaign for Wool to underline the importance of British manufacturing and materials in the production of suits. He’s previously talked about how important the rich tradition and craft of Savile Row are; eight of its tailors bear his Royal Warrant as well as the nearby shirtmakers and shoemakers that make up a classic gentlemanly wardrobe.
Bold and impactful
The King could have worn black to mark the solemnity of his message - the very fact that this is his first time a reminder of the loss of Queen Elizabeth this year - but made a conscious decision to wear something bold and impactful in vivid blue with standout accessories.
He actively enjoys dressing up and putting on a sartorial show of ceremony, from plush green velvet dinner jackets at Dumfries House to stately grey morning suits at Ascot and although he usually favours lilacs and pinks in his accessories, it’s telling that the King chose a tie of cerulean blue and white. He wears a pair of cufflinks with the Greek flag in a nod to his late father, and the tie’s tones carry on that Grecian theme.
Consistent and constant
While the look’s not exactly a ‘festive’ ensemble in the traditional sense, the bright tones suggest a certain blue-sky optimism after this particularly challenging time. With the country having gone through the wringer this year - the death of Queen Elizabeth, a winter of discontent with mounting cost of living and strikes - the decision to wear a suit that he’s previously been spotted in is a stylistic safety net and symbol that the King’s consistent and constant. He’s not frightening the fashion horses but showing he’s dependable.
Like the late Queen - who in what would be her last Christmas message donned the sapphire chrysanthemum brooch that she first wore on her honeymoon as a tribute to her late husband - the King knows the power of messaging through clothes. And this one was to demonstrate a safe pair of hands to steer the country - and the changing world of the monarchy - through.
The meaning behind King Charles’ Christmas speech outfit
For his first Christmas address, King Charles’ outfit shows he’s a safe figurehead in trying times