The coronation of a British monarch is perhaps the greatest example imaginable of an event demanding the etiquette of high society. These rules, often unspoken or under-explained, can be a source of confusion and embarrassment.

Intriguingly, King Charles III is loosening some of the expectations around his coronation. As noted in a previous article, it's a slimmed-down affair – for example, a one-hour service with 2,000 guests, compared to Queen Elizabeth's four-hour ceremony attended by 8,000 – and the dress code is being significantly relaxed. 

Charles is expected to abandon the hose (stockings) and knee-length breeches worn by the three most recent British kings for recent coronations, opting instead for smart military attire. 

READ MORE

The ever-changing (recent) history of UK coronations 

Concorde: A collaborative European dream that died

Memos, rows and Windows: A '90s struggle to get the UK online

"The king himself will not be wearing a hose outfit," explains Yvette Jelfs, a bespoke hat designer and expert in etiquette. "He will be wearing his naval uniform, with cloaks added for all the different recognitions."

As head of the British Armed Forces, Charles – who served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force – could wear the uniform of any branch at his coronation. He wore the naval Admiral of the Fleet's uniform in May 2022, when he stood in at the last moment for Queen Elizabeth to carry out the state opening of Parliament. 

Some have seen this as a shocking break with tradition, but down the centuries kings have often changed coronation garments to suit their tastes – and prevailing contemporary attitudes. 

Breeches and hose

Although the breeches-and-stockings look harks back to Tudor times, it was only reintroduced in 1821 by the extravagant King George IV, who underscored the regal lineage by donning a rather fantastical Elizabethan-style outfit for his coronation. 

Ten years later, George IV was succeeded by his much more down-to-earth brother. William IV opted to strip away much of that pomp, instead wearing his admiral's uniform – with pants instead of breeches – topped with a long ermine-edged cloak.

With William being succeeded by the long-serving Victoria, the next king's coronation wasn't until the following century. All three kings crowned in the 20th century wore stockings and breeches for the occasion, but George VI (1937) – Charles's grandfather, the last king before him – donned a notably less ostentatious outfit than his father George V (1902) and grandfather Edward VII (1911). Fashions change, even among royalty. 

Morning suits vs lounge suits: An explainer

But what about the guests, and what they might wear? Again, Charles is dialing down the fussily hierarchical nature of the event. 

"King Charles is inviting many people that aren't dukes or duchesses to the event, and so the dress code has completely changed," Jelfs tells CGTN. "Gentlemen can wear lounge suits as well as morning suits."

What's the difference between those two types of attire?

"In the Georgian times," explains Jelfs, referring to the period between 1714 and 1830 when Britain had four successive King Georges, " you would probably change four times a day. In the morning, a gentleman would be riding his horse, either to work or to his friends. 

"That morning coat, which has the two cuts at the back, that's where the morning suit name comes from. It's not 'mourning' as in sad, as some people think."

Morning dress for men is characterized by this jacket, which also features a cutaway front (think of the horse) and is worn over waistcoat and trousers. 

Long considered much less formal, the lounge suit doesn't feature the morning coat's cutaway front and needn't include a waistcoat – that's the difference between a two-piece and three-piece suit. 

(While we're demystifying: "White tie"– with its black tail coat covering white dress shirt, white waistcoat and white bow tie – is more formal than "black tie," a dinner suit (or tuxedo) with a black bow tie.)

The hidden bonus of a huge hat

And what of the women?

"The ladies will obviously still be dressed up and in suits and dresses, but with hats," reveals Jelfs. "You will need to wear a hat – it's all about keeping your head covered, out of respect – I think that's in most national costumes."

This leads onto another change from Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. Then, nearly all female royals wore tiaras – but it's thought that the Princess of Wales (Kate Middleton), Duchess of Sussex (Meghan Markle) and the Duchess of Edinburgh (the wife of Charles's brother Prince Edward) will instead be asked to wear less formal morning hats. 

Some morning hats can be quite elaborate, and hat designer Jelfs reveals this has a double effect – attracting attention while maintaining distance. 

"If it's got feathers at the front, it'll give you a bit of space before the next person comes next to you," she says. "At these events, you could be sat quite close to people and it gives you a bit of space."

It's not just the guests whose attire is being quietly downgraded. Charles's wife Camilla will be wearing a newly simplified version of the Crown of Queen Mary, named for the consort of George V. Bought by Mary herself in 1911, the Art Deco-style crown has now had some of its arches removed – although some jewels formerly worn by Elizabeth as brooches have been added as a tribute. 

In recent centuries, most queen consorts have had their own crowns – but Camilla's reuse of the family jewels is in line with the other changes made by a new king and queen who seem content to remove some of the formality surrounding the monarchy. There will, however, remain some elements of hierarchy.

"There's going to be two areas," says Jelfs. "The first area will be all the royal family and people that have been invited specially, and that will be morning suits. In the next area along, it would be a lounge suit.

"Lounge suits can still be very smart, and I just think it's wonderful that the king has arranged his coronation so that anyone can go along and there's been a ballot for people to be invited."

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday