The Prince’s New Groove
LONDON — Prince Harry took to court in style.
A crisp navy suit with a clean white shirt and a maroon printed necktie was what the prince chose to wear for his first appearance at London’s Royal Courts of Justice, where he’s suing the Mirror Newspaper Group in a phone hacking trial.
More from WWD
Related Galleries
Before Car Chase, Meghan Markle Embraces Gold Glamour in Johanna Ortiz Dress for Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards With Prince Harry
Princess Anne’s Towering Feathered Hat That Blocked Prince Harry Is King Charles’ Coronation’s First Meme
The following day he wore the same suit with a light silver brick printed necktie.
On both days he wore his signature bracelets, which have been part of his style for more than 20 years. The beaded bracelets denote his love for Africa and it is speculated that he bought them in 1997 right after the passing of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The set of bracelets includes a brown beaded set; a green rope with black beads and a silver bracelet, which he wore on his wedding day in 2018.
A member of the British royal family hasn’t been cross-examined in court for more than 130 years.
In 1891, Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Prince Albert Edward took to the stand to testify as a witness for his friend, Sir William Gordon-Cumming, who was accused of cheating and lost the case. The prince went on to become King Edward VII in 1901 when his mother passed.
For Harry, the circumstances are albeit different. As he’s no longer a working royal, he’s allowed to bring out a memoir and star in a Netflix special with his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
It’s not the prince’s first time at court.
In March, he arrived at London’s Royal Courts of Justice for his lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, wearing a Dior shirt embroidered with a tiny bee in 18-karat gold thread. The shirt cost 800 pounds.
“The ‘slim-fit crowd’ does not really have a nice ring to it after Jared Kushner and his folks popularized the term, however, I think that a slim lapel and overall tight fit is still a way for guys attempting to bring some modernity into their suit game,” said Dag Granath, cofounder of Stockholm-based tailoring brand Saman Amel.
At the coronation of King Charles III, Harry wore a custom three-piece suit by Kim Jones for Dior that included a black wool and mohair peak lapel tailcoat; gray wool and mohair pants; a classic white cotton shirt; a gray silk tie; a black wool and mohair peak lapel double-breasted vest, and black leather derbies.
His tailoring has become sharper by adopting an American attitude to suits: slim silhouettes that border skinny rather than adhering with the British way of suiting, which often includes wider proportions.
“Harry’s suit has a sartorial elegance that is elevated from the traditional suits worn by the royal family — he looks sharper and more stylish than he looked in the past,” said Peter Bevan, a London-based menswear stylist.
“His suits when he was a working royal would have been crafted by British tailors, like Gieves & Hawkes, who famously made suits for his father and older brother. The fit was often more classic, so in comparison this suit is more fashion-forward,” he added.
“I feel that tailoring is very intimate. It can sculpt or follow your body — in the best cases, it does both,” agreed Granath.
The Dior affiliation dates back to Princess Diana. She carried the mini Lady Dior handbag at the Met Gala in 1996, which was reissued last year.
At Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee last year, Markle arrived wearing a belted coat from Dior with a bright white hat.
The outfit was from the Dior Couture spring 2022 collection, according to the company.
The St. Paul’s service was the first public engagement for the couple since stepping down in 2020.
Without the responsibilities of royal life, the prince quickly found a sleek groove in California.
For his first Christmas card with his family in 2021, shot by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski, he opted for a pair of slim-fit jeans with a rip at the knee worn with a linen shirt in a similar shade with his bracelets and no shoes.
It was after a year of stepping down from official duties that Harry found his new self — a meditative man just like Don Draper in the final episode of “Mad Men.”
Launch Gallery: The Farewell Tour: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Return to U.K. for Final Round of Official Visits
Best of WWD
