Prince William is charting his own course as he steps away from a long-standing royal tradition.
The Prince of Wales turned heads as he chose to wear white tie rather than the historic Windsor uniform at this week's state banquet honouring French President Emmanuel Macron.
On the other hand, King Charles, Prince Edward and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence all wore the traditional navy tailcoat with red facings but William broke the tradition with his different outfit.
According to courtier, it was Prince William's intentional move, telling the mail, "His Royal Highness dressed appropriately, but does not need to match his father on all occasions."
They added, "It's no secret that William does not feel hidebound by tradition. He respects tradition, but does not believe that we always have to follow it."
The royal sources confirmed that William's clothing choices reflect his broader modernising approach, "William is determined to be a different type of monarch."
The choice gains significance when considering that William had earlier been seen in the uniform worn by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
To note, the Windsor uniform carries centuries of royal history, having been introduced by King George III in 1777 as a symbol of loyalty and court unity.
In an original design, it elaborated gold braiding and a bicorne hat embellished with ostrich feathers, which the monarch insisted all courtiers and ministers wear.
But in the new version, it is considerably more understated, consisting of a simple navy tailcoat with distinctive red facings.
