She hated the monarchy, but design queen Vivienne Westwood charmed ‘punk’ King Charles

He’s better known for his Savile Row tailoring and traditional tweeds than his punk fashion, but that didn’t stop the King from paying special tribute to anti-monarchist designer Dame Vivienne Westwood at her memorial service.

It may seem like an unlikely friendship, but Charles was a longtime supporter of punk queen Dame Vivienne and her anti-establishment fashion brand, whose flagship store first opened on King’s Road in 1971.

Dame Vivienne passed away earlier this year. And although he was unable to attend the memorial himself, King Charles asked Sir Nicholas Coleridge, former boss of the Conde Nast magazine group, to personally represent him in the front pew of Southwark Cathedral in central London.

Known for her outrageous taste, Vivienne Westwood went to the palace without her underwear on twice. She attends a reception for the Elephant Family charity at Clarence House in 2019 hosted by Camilla, the then Duchess of Cornwall.

Dame Vivienne was such a fan of Charles and his green views that she wore a dress with his face on it at a fashion show in Milan. Her support for him “polarized” her fans

An aide to the royal family joked that the monarch is an “unexpected punk at heart.”

“Amid all the fanfare surrounding the celebrity arrival, few noticed Nicholas Coleridge walking down the aisle and taking a seat in the front seat as he had been asked by King Charles to represent him at Vivienne Westwood’s funeral,” a royal said. source.

“Charles felt strongly that he wanted to be there, as he was a huge fan and an unlikely friend of the designer.”

The service was not the first time their mutual respect was emphasized. Dame Vivienne dedicated her 2015 Autumn-Winter menswear runway show in Milan to Prince Charles in honor of his environmental efforts.

She even wore a dress with his face on it that day.

As she said at the time, “If Prince Charles had ruled the world according to his priorities for the past 30 years, things would be fine and we would be tackling climate change.”

The pro-Charles runway show is said to have “polarized” its fans, many of whom were anti-monarchist punks.

Westwood’s most famous creation was the iconic ‘God Save the Queen’ T-shirt she designed in 1977. It was emblazoned with Sex Pistols lyrics – she was dating the band’s manager at the time, Malcolm McLaren – it controversially had a safety pin cut through an image of the Queen’s face.

One of Dame Vivienne’s strangest claims to fame in her lifetime was that she went to Buckingham Palace twice, twice with no underpants.

On the first visit, in 1992, she famously lifted her skirt to flash the cameras after meeting the Queen. The stunt is said to have amused the late monarch.

The move didn’t stop the king from developing an affection for the designer and a royal source said their shared interests extend beyond a passion for environmental causes.

“They bonded because they love British brands and also British craftsmanship,” the source said. “Charles dipped his toe in fashion through his support of the wool industry.”

In 2010, King Charles launched his Campaign for Wool initiative to support the British wool industry and nominated Sir Nicholas Coleridge as chairman.

The designer poses for photographers after becoming a Dame in 2006

Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham attend the memorial service for Vivienne Westwood at Southwark Cathedral in London on February 16, 2023

The King asked publisher Sir Nicholas Coleridge to represent him at Dame Vivienne’s memorial service

An assistant described Coleridge as “fashion royalty” and the “perfect choice” to represent King Charles at the funeral of Derbyshire-born Westwood, who died peacefully in December at the age of 81.

The source said: ‘Nicholas was specifically asked to represent both Charles and Camilla and in his capacity as the King’s official representative he was invited by the Westwood family to go down the aisle at the funeral and take a seat in the front seat. ‘

Nicholas, who oversaw planning for last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen, said:

“It wasn’t about me, and I was just representing the consort of the King and Queen. The King and Vivienne Westwood had a strong mutual interest in sustainability and the environment. That was their connection.’