Prince Charles Recycled a Suit from 1984 for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding
Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Harry, Prince Charles and Meghan Markle
From Queen Elizabeth to Kate Middleton, the royal family is known for their ability to recycle a favorite outfit, but Prince Charles may be the king of the royal rewear!
Prince Charles had a big role to play at son Prince Harry's royal wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018: walking the bride down the aisle. For the occasion, he wore a grey morning suit by Anderson & Sheppard — a piece that's been in his closet since 1984.
When British Vogue editor Edward Enninful – who worked closely with Meghan for her British Vogue issue in the summer of 2019 – asked if the royal had considered wearing something new for such an occasion, Prince Charles replied, "I've considered it. But in the case of that particular morning coat, as long as I can go on getting into it, I only wear it a few times a year, in the summer, so obviously you want to keep those sorts of things going."
"But if I can’t fit into them, then I just have to have something new made," he continued. "But I’m not sure quite how radically different they can be at my age."
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DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images Prince Charles and Meghan Markle
ALASTAIR GRANT/AFP via Getty Images Prince Charles and Camilla at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding
Prince Charles' morning coat has made many appearances throughout the decades, from the Royal Ascot to another royal wedding: the 1999 nuptials of his brother Prince Edward to Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Prince Charles in 1985
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images Prince Charles and Prince Edward in 1999
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Queen Elizabeth's eldest son and heir, 71, has no issues being thrifty — in fact, his appearance in the fashion magazine was to highlight the drive for sustainable style.
"I'm one of those people who hate throwing anything away. Hence, I’d rather have them maintained, even patched if necessary, than to abandon them,” he told British Vogue. "The difficulty is, as you get older, you tend to change shape, and it’s not so easy to fit into the clothes."
He added, "I can't bear any waste, including food waste; I'd much rather find another use. Which is why I’ve been going on for so long about the need for a circular economy, rather than a linear one where you just make, take and throw away — which is a tragedy, because inevitably we over-exploit natural resources that are rapidly depleting."
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Prince Charles in 2014
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The prince, who has been an environmental advocate for several decades throughout his public life, wants to change the entire industry to become more conscious of the issue.
"It is critical that we address the whole issue around how we produce clothes," he said. So many of the processes in textile-making involve toxic chemicals that damage the environment in a huge way. Then there’s all the waste and throwing away of clothes into landfill sites, which is why it matters so much if we’re going to tackle these huge global challenges around global warming and climate change."
