Fresh off his 40th birthday celebrations in California last month, Prince Harry is back in London and, perhaps more tenderly, taking style cues from his father.
The Duke of Sussex attended the Wellchild Awards on Monday evening wearing a stylish navy blue single-breasted suit and a striking turquoise tie with a subtle fish pattern from British brand Reef Knots. The style costs a relatively cheap £69.
The choice is symbolic. Reef Knots is an independent British brand founded by Patrick Dudley-Williams in 2012 and is in partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation, a charity dedicated to ocean sustainability.
It’s a small gesture, a spur-of-the-moment decision he makes in preparation for an event that concerns him very closely, one of the few occasions on which he marks England; but it also says a lot about the evolutions of the Windsor wardrobe that still feel natural.
King Charles enjoys the finer points of dressing and sticks to tradition, while always adding a bit of personality with his accessories; Ties, pocket squares and cufflinks are used to add a fun touch to formal attire.
The King previously wore a tie decorated with elephants to support his wife’s late brother Mark Shand’s elephant charity, Elephant Family; He also wore a dinosaur-print tie (T-Rex to be exact). This tie was thought to be a coded message. The role of Charles III Rex.
Prince William, who has always been the loyal heir, followed in his father’s footsteps in this regard and chose the Ferragamo tie in the Euros decorated with footballs this year.
Harry, like many men his age, generally prefers an open collar, but has also been known to wear a Hermès tie from time to time. “I looked at the bright blue tie and thought it might be Hermès,” says Tom Chamberlin, editor of The Rake magazine. “But honestly, it dawned on me that his boarding school upbringing wasn’t entirely in vain, because the tip of the tie sits just above the waist, just as a single tie should… a breasted jacket. There’s still hope for the prodigal prince.”
His witty choice of ties also gives a slight nod to the sartorial legacy of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who always ensured he wore bright and cheerful clothes and jewelery when visiting children or hospitals. No doubt Harry’s tie will be an uplifting sight for the children Wellchild honors.
Of course, it is standard practice for royalty to use certain signifiers through their own style; See the Princess of Wales in her soft-soft boho outfit or the Queen wearing Dior in Paris. Prince Harry was an outlier, plus cha changeIn terms of how he represents himself, it sits somewhat differently from the traditional classicism of his father and brother.
His usual style is more relaxed, less focused on looking tailored and flashy, Vince trainers and his workout clothes have a Californian twist.
Prince Harry went his own way for his wedding, asking Queen Elizabeth for permission to grow a fiery tuft of beard for the day, in defiance of strict military rules regarding beards in uniform, and according to the tell-all Spare memoir, much to his brother’s ire for the grooming infraction.
She favors charm bracelets, a touching reference to her love of Africa. He has also made forays into high fashion, going much further than his brother, who tends to favor traditional Savile Row tailoring – Prince Harry wore Dior to his father’s coronation in 2023.
Formality has never been Harry’s particular forte, but when the opportunity arises he’s happy to pull the strings in a safe suit; most strikingly and stylishly when he was photographed in a slick Paul Smith suit smiling at the Duchess of Sussex in the pouring rain. Following the announcement that they will be stepping down from royal duties in 2021.
Maybe she’s finding her own style style as she celebrates her 40th birthday. Prince Harry clearly intends to forge his own path, but opting for a cheerful tie, something that isn’t overtly “trendy” and isn’t too sombre, is a pretty casual approach.
The look is also reminiscent of the average Englishman – wink and it could be any City suit – and is perhaps a nudge towards the more “tow the party line” approach to dressing that the royals do so well. Could he soften towards an image more in keeping with the family’s status quo? Time will tell how he chooses to present himself.