Prince William's historic costume, worn for an important ceremony earlier this month, has intrigued fans on social media. Footage from the day has gained over 2 million views on TikTok.
William attended the annual Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle on June 17 alongside several other senior royals, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the Dukes and Duchesses of Edinburgh and Gloucester, and Princess Anne.
The day's events center on the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior of England's chivalric orders. Membership in this order is appointed solely by the monarch.
The order dates back to 1348, when it was founded by King Edward III. Later, its ceremonial home was assigned to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the annual service and celebrations take place.
There are various distinctions between knights and ladies of the garter; most prominently, members of the royal family are appointed as Royal Knights and Ladies Companion.
Prince William has a long association with the order. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth II made him a special appointment as its 1,000th recorded knight. The prince's then-girlfriend, Kate Middleton, witnessed his investment in the order.
The Garter Day celebrations include several elements, including a lunch in the Waterloo Gallery of Windsor Castle for serving knights and their spouses. The installment ceremony for new knights and ladies takes place in the castle's Garter Throne Room. This is followed by a procession from the castle to St George's Chapel, where a religious service is held.
The procession to the chapel is where the members of the order are seen to their full advantage in the June sunshine, wearing their historic robes.
Footage of the procession, uploaded to TikTok by @kaydentheroyalist on June 19, has gone viral, with over 2 million views, 140,000 likes, and 900 comments, many of which have questioned the antiquated outfits.
@kaydentheroyalist Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince William attend the Garter Day ceremony at Windsor Castle #fyp #windsor #windsorcastle #princewilliam #princessanne #princeedward #royalfamily #garterday #royals #royal ♬ Dernière danse - Indila
"Now that is some WILD costume. It's 2024 what does it even mean?" wrote one TikTok user.
"They look like they raided a child's dress up chest and decided on fancy pirates," another person commented.
Vestments of the Order of the Garter
The Order of the Garter requires members to wear several historic pieces of ceremonial dress for the Garter Day celebrations and other high-profile events.
The most visible of these are the cloak (or mantle) and Tudor-style bonnet with a white feather attached. Both were introduced in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The mantle is made of blue velvet and is embroidered with the St. George's Cross emblem encircled by the garter.
Male members wear the garter around the left calf and female members around the left arm. The garters are blue and bear the order's motto in Latin in gold: "Honi soit qui mal y pense." This translates to "Shame to him who thinks evil of it."
Also worn on Garter Day are the order's collars, which are chains worn around the neck that feature heraldic symbols associated with the order. Suspended from the chain is a figure of St. George, the order's patron saint, slaying a dragon.
Outside of the Garter Day events, those who are in the order display their membership at state occasions where white tie is worn like state banquets. Most regularly, male and female members can be identified by the garter blue sash they wear across the chest, blue being the order's color.
Members of the order are appointed by the king or queen of the day for the knight or lady's lifetime. The appointments are made to those who are considered to have rendered valuable service to the monarch or the country.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
