Prince William ruffled feathers last week when he wore a blue suit to the funeral of the Pope.
The future monarch attended the funeral on behalf of his father, King Charles, and royal watchers were less than impressed by his navy outfit, given that black is traditionally worn to funerals.
One commenter said: “The blue suits bother me,” while a second added: “Wearing black was too difficult?” A third commented: “Blue suit? Disrespectful.”
While his choice of suit seems controversial, it’s not disrespectful to choose a dark shade other than black, as HELLO!’s Lifestyle Editor Nichola Murphy points out.
“Black has long been associated with appropriate funeral attire, but it is not the only colour that is acceptable,” she explains.
“Dark blue and grey suits are also commonly worn by attendees paying their respects. We saw Prince George wear blue at the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, so it’s not surprising the colour featured at the pope’s funeral, too.”
© GettyHELLO!’s Online Royal Reporter Danielle Stacey adds: “The dress code for the Pope’s funeral stated that men were asked to wear a dark suit with a long black tie, so black wasn’t the only colour stipulated within the guidelines.
“William wasn’t the only royal in blue at the service – King Abdullah II of Jordan also donned navy attire.”
Prince William’s funeral attire
If you take a look at Prince William’s sombre funeral attendances over the years, you will likely notice that the future King appears to have only worn full black to a funeral once in his life.
For the late Queen’s funeral in 2022, Prince William was dressed in navy military attire, while for his grandfather, Prince Philip’s service, the Prince of Wales wore a black suit jacket with grey trousers.
© Getty ImagesExplaining this choice, Danielle Stacey comments: “For Prince Philip’s funeral service in 2021, all of the male royals were asked to wear mourning dress instead of uniform.”
© Getty ImagesFor close friend of the royal family Thomas Kingston’s funeral in 2024, William wore navy, after donning the same suit for the November 2023 service for Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
The only time Princess Kate’s husband appears to have worn black for a funeral was to his mother, Princess Diana’s moving service. However, Danielle notes that in some lights, his suit looks navy rather than black.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get“He’s not the only male royal to wear dark blue or navy at a funeral,” Danielle adds. “Pictures from Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997 show King Charles, then Prince of Wales, in a very dark blue suit.”
While it’s not known why Prince William shies away from black suits for funerals, it’s clear that it’s not a sign of disrespect, and oftentimes, he is required to wear military clothes instead.
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