While all eyes were on Meghan Markle during the Royal Wedding Saturday, Prince George did something he usually doesn’t do: he wore pants.
Prince Harry’s 4-year-old nephew, who usually only ever wears shorts, donned a miniature version of Harry’s military uniform during the wedding of the year. The formal look was complete with black pants with a red stripe and a matching three-quarter length black jacket as he served as a page boy in the wedding.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The other four page boys also wore miniature versions of the Blues and Royals uniform that Harry and William donned. Each page boy had their initials embroidered in gold on their shoulder straps.
Though George has been spotted wearing pants before, the Royal Wedding was his first official engagement where his legs were completely covered. Etiquette expert William Hanson told Harper’s Bazaar UK that the reason George typically wears shorts has to do with royal and aristocratic tradition.
“It’s a very English thing to dress a young boy in shorts,” Hanson said. “Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England.
“Although times are (slowly) changing, a pair of trousers on a young boy is considered quite middle class – quite suburban. And no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban. Even the Duchess of Cambridge.”
Hanson added that a boy “graduates to trousers” around the age of 8.
“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,” Hanson said.
While fans certainly noticed Prince George’s wardrobe change, the bride was the center of attention. Markle wore a pure white silk wedding gown from Givenchy with a 16-foot train and a cathedral-length veil with long sleeves and a boat neckline. The dress came out to more than $250,000, and according to Harry it was worth every penny.
Clare Waight Keller, the female director at the Givenchy fashion house, said the new Duke of Sussex spoke to her personally after the ceremony.
“He came straight up to me and he said ‘oh my God, thank you, she looks absolutely stunning,’” Keller told British tabloid The Daily Telegraph. “So I think for the both of them, they were just radiant at that time.”
“Well I think everybody saw on television — he was absolutely in awe, I think,” she added. “She looked just incredible and it showed.”
Markle chose Keller to be her designer back in January, something she said felt like a great honor.
“It was an extraordinary moment when she told me. Of course it’s an incredible thing to be part of such a historic moment,” Keller said. “I think she had very much seen my work and knew what I did. I think she loved the fact that I was a British designer, and working in a house such as Givenchy which has its roots in a very classical, beautiful style.”
