Fashion and brand experts react to Prince Harry wearing Dior suit to Coronation

Prince Harry’s Dior suit he wore to the coronation could have been a rebellious move if he and Meghan Markle strike a deal with the brand, experts claimed today.

The Duke of Sussex looked good in the bespoke three-piece suit designed by Dior’s artistic director Kim Jones especially for his performance at Westminster Abbey.

But royal fashion expert and celebrity stylist Miranda Holder said Harry’s choice of a French brand showed he “didn’t understand the fashion meme or was in a sulky mood” as most of the other guests wore British labels, adding that his decision “said volumes spoke’.

Harry and his wife Meghan have previously worn a variety of Dior outfits, prompting claims they could be working on a collaboration with the brand.

Brand and culture expert Nick Ede added that now that the Sussexes are no longer working royals, they can “make an agreement with one of the biggest fashion houses in the world” and that Dior “would have jumped at the opportunity” to partner with them. to work together.

Royal commentators had speculated over whether Harry would wear a military uniform after he didn’t wear one to the late Queen’s funeral last September.

And yesterday he opted for the three piece suit consisting of a dressing gown and black waistcoat, which Harry wore with a crisp white shirt and pearl gray tie.

Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, was also a fan of Dior, wearing their outfits in the months before her death at age 36 – including, famously, at the 1996 Met Gala.

Prince Harry arrives yesterday for the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey

The rear view of Harry’s suit yesterday, as he enters the Abbey with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

At that event in New York, Diana wore a Dior silk slip dress and carried a Dior handbag initially known as “Chouchou,” which was later renamed Lady Dior in her honor. The handbag remains one of the brand’s best-known items today.

Ms Holder told MailOnline today: “Harry’s brief appearance at the coronation would always be controversial, every second he was under the scrutiny of the many cameras every move he made would be scrutinized relentlessly, and as he was not wearing any kind of ceremonial uniform , his style choices would be at the top of the list.”

She said most of the guests “seemed to have gotten the memo to support the best of British brands on such a uniquely patriotic occasion.”

Ms Holder spoke of the “sea of ​​exquisite British couture” from the Alexander McQueen that “adorned” Kate Middleton and Charlotte to the poppy red Emilia Wickstead coat worn by actress Emma Thompson that she adorned with her MBE.

But she continued, “However, it seemed that Harry didn’t understand the fashion meme—either that, or he was in a grumpy mood.

The Prince turned up looking good, if a little apprehensive, in a spotless Dior suit, a potentially rebellious move on his part. Harry would have been well versed in the protocol of supporting domestic businesses, and the message that would get across.

In true royal family style, Harry, like his late grandmother, is a true expert in visual representation, and his decision to wear a French designer for this historic occasion spoke volumes.

“The message was clear: ‘I’m here, but I’m doing this my way’, a firm statement that his newfound independence would not change, that he would run alongside the royal pack rather than in it.”

The Duke of Sussex left Westminster Abbey yesterday following the King’s coronation

Dior tweeted yesterday about Harry’s suit after the coronation at Westminster Abbey

Ms Holder, who posts on TikTok as @TheMirandaHolder, also spoke about Meghan choosing Dior on several royal occasions while still in Britain.

She said: “In contrast to the quiet luxury of the British designer’s aesthetic, Dior feels a little more garish, and a little more ‘look at me – feeling a little more Elizabeth Taylor rattle than Queen Elizabeth, but Meghan had our subtle British sensibilities when it comes to these nuances.

‘The fact that the couple are so well disposed to Dior strongly indicates more than just appreciation for the couturier. It is very likely that a brand partnership is being negotiated between the parties.

“It wouldn’t be the first time a member of the royal family has collaborated with a fashion brand in this way, and I’m sure the Sussex family would be grateful for the extra income, as would Dior for the extra exposure.”

Meanwhile, Mr Ede also spoke today about the importance of Harry and Meghan’s bond with Dior.

He told MailOnline: ‘Fashion brands know celebrity is a brilliant way to sell and create strong credentials. A brand like Dior with a long history and heritage jumped at the chance to work with Harry and Meghan.

The royal family cannot traditionally endorse brands, but now that the couple are not officially part of the family, they can sign an agreement with one of the largest fashion houses in the world.

Dior is promoting that they made the suit for Harry and this will help build his brand equity and I think we will see him and Meghan working closely with fashion houses and lifestyle brands to monetize and also support.

“Such an arrangement will be a financial one, so they have either signed an exclusive contract with the fashion house or they get a fee if they wear the brand.”

Yesterday, Dior posted a photo of Harry in the suit on Instagram, which read: “Tailored for royalty. Dior is honored to have dressed Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex for the coronation of King Charles III in a special design by Kim Jones. See arriving at Westminster Abbey, then gain insight into the savoir-faire of his three-piece suit.”

Prince Harry also wore a Dior suit when he spoke at the United Nations in New York in July 2022

Meghan wears a Dior dress to a reception in Rabat during a trip to Morocco in February 2019

Meghan wears a dark blue Dior dress to a service at Westminster Abbey for the RAF in 2018

Princess Diana arrives at the 1996 Met Gala in New York in her iconic Dior silk slip dress

The fashion house then posted more photos of the suit during manufacture, revealing the “temporary running stitches and the canvas that forms the lapels, before perfecting the balance and fit of each piece and revealing the finished pieces.”

Dior then also posted a photo of Harry smiling in the abbey, saying he was “elegantly dressed in his bespoke Dior by @MrKimJones black wool and mohair suit.”

Harry would have worn what he was supposed to wear to the ceremony yesterday, pinning his Afghanistan and Jubilee medals to his suit jacket, and a Royal Victorian Order star and neck decoration.

Ahead of the coronation, military historian Dr Peter Johnston told True Royalty TV’s The Royal Beat in April that Harry may be allowed to show another tribute to his service, despite two tours in Afghanistan.

‘I imagine Harry won’t be wearing a uniform [at the Coronation],’ he said. Even if veteran did those two tours in Afghanistan, he won’t wear a uniform.

“I imagine he’ll be wearing his medals, but where he fits in the procession and where he goes will also probably be pretty similar to where he was at the funeral.”

Harry returned to California within hours of his father’s coronation after taking a British Airways flight.

He arrived at Los Angeles International Airport around 6:30 p.m. local time to reunite with his son on his birthday.

Archie turned four yesterday and spent the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their home in the US.

British Airways flight attendants confirmed that Harry was on the flight, but said they were not allowed to discuss the details of his journey.

Harry’s appearance at the coronation was his first public appearance alongside the royals since he denounced his family in his controversial memoir Spare.

Harry’s suit for yesterday’s coronation ceremony was designed by Dior’s artistic director Kim Jones (left, pictured with Victoria and David Beckham at Paris Fashion Week in 2020)

Kim Jones, who designed Harry’s costume for the coronation, will be photographed with Lila Moss and Kate Moss at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit in New York on May 1.

Harry’s costume designer Kim Jones is photographed with Bella Hadid at Paris Fashion Week in June 2021

He sat in the third row for the coronation of Charles and the Duke’s stepmother, the Queen, and was placed two rows behind his brother, the Prince of Wales.

Harry was talking to his cousin Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi as he entered the church in the drizzle on Saturday.

He also nodded and smiled at the guests as he followed them alone through the nave of the abbey.

During the service, as the congregation paid homage to the king, Harry, along with the other members of the royal family around him, were seen uttering the words: ‘God save King Charles. Long live King Charles. May the king live forever.’

His abrupt return to the US meant he did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the day’s final, with the Palace previously confirming he had no formal role in the event.