by The Prince and Princess of Wales landed in the United States on Wednesday to begin their four-day visit to Boston, which culminated with the Earthshot Prize Awards on Friday. Along with her many sustainable outfits for her many upcoming engagements in the coming days, there is also one outfit that the princess must always carry in her Royal Tour suitcase: an all-black ensemble.
Royal tours – and wardrobes – require a lot of organisation, especially when you’re one of the most photographed members of the royal family.
Kate, 40, has become known for being able to walk the line between getting the dress code right, respecting the host nation and staying approachable, so we can only imagine the advance planning that goes into the wardrobe of a tour with several public events , both formal and informal.
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Plus, there’s also a stipulation in place for when a royal travels abroad — and the reason is pretty grim.
When a member of the royal family travels to another country, they must always pack an all-black suit.
The reason is in case they have to attend a last minute funeral in the host country, or someone in the family dies while they are abroad. For the latter, the unusual rule ensures that when they return to the UK, they are appropriately dressed to match the nation’s somber mood.
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The unusual tailoring clause is now a mandatory rule that all members of the royal family must abide by, but that wasn’t always the case.
The rule actually stems from the one occasion Queen Elizabeth herself was taken by surprise while abroad, which you will recall if you know the hit Netflix show The crown.
Elizabeth was traveling in Kenya with Prince Philip when she heard the news that her father, King George VI, had died at home in the UK, and as such, the then-princess would become queen.
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The late monarch had failed to pack anything black for her trip to Africa, and she knew she could not arrive in the country wearing ill-fitting attire, as her plane was sure to be greeted by dozens of photographers eager to give a shot. look at the new Regina.
So, Elizabeth ended up having to wait on the plane once it landed so an aide could get her a more appropriate black suit to wear before she disembarked in front of the world’s press.
Since then, the Queen has made it clear that everyone should be prepared for the worst at a moment’s notice, even on a family vacation, but especially on a royal tour.
Watch: Billie Eilish and Ellie Goulding lead musical line-up for Prince of Wales’ Earthshot Award ceremony
