When members of the royal family step out in public for any reason, they know they need to be camera-ready, but what about when they're headed to more private affairs?
Well, according to former royal butler Grand Harrold, who has been busy promoting his upcoming book, The Royal Butler: My Remarkable Life in Royal Service, royals are dressed to impress even when they don't expect anyone outside their family to see their wardrobe.
"They would wear nice daywear—the King would wear nice chinos and a shirt, for example," Harrold told The Sun of the dress code at royal family gatherings. "It’s very much a family thing, that’s what it’s all about. It should all be about having a nice time with friends and family and relaxing.”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their three oldest children, now-King Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew enjoying a family picnic at Balmoral in 1960.
According to Harrold, anyone who ever finds themselves invited to a private royal family event should plan on dressing up to a degree—even for an event as seemingly casual and low-key as a barbecue.
“Let’s just say, if it’s a barbecue at the palace, then you’re going to want a pair of nice chinos and silk shirt, or formal shirt—not a T-shirt,” he said. “If it’s on the formal side, as a gentleman, you should have a jacket, but if it’s not, you could have an open neck shirt.”
Prince William cooking at a barbecue in 2010.
And women at royal functions might even dress up more than the men, based on Harrold's descriptions.
“For the ladies, you should wear a cocktail dress if the weather is good,” he explained. “But if it was on the beach, you would need to follow suit with beachwear. It’s always better to overdress than underdress.”
Of course, there can be exceptions to this rule, and Harrold stressed that ultimately, the only way to be sure about how to dress for a royal get-together is to ask the person in charge of the event.
“It’s always up to the host to decide on the dress code," he explained. "So always check in ahead of time.”
According to Harrold, barbecues are a favorite for the royal family, who he said were always "very hands-on" when it came to these beloved outdoor get-togethers, which he said were “very much family affairs."
"They did it themselves," he explained. "The staff didn’t do it.”
According to Harrold, the late Queen Elizabeth and now-King Charles would typically make salad, while the late Prince Philip and Charles' sister, Princess Anne, would be in charge of the barbecue.
“The roles have to be divided, and it’s probably fair that the person who is best at cooking is the one who should be doing the barbecue, and the person who is best at setting the table and prepping—that sort of thing—should have those responsibilities,” he said of how the royals decide how to divvy up duties at family barbecues and picnics.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla working the grill at a the Premier's Community BBQ in Sydney on October 22, 2024.
Circling back to fashion rules at royal family get-togethers, Harrold offered some insight into what happens if royals spill food on the apparently very nice clothing they typically wear to these kinds of notoriously messy events.
“If you spill some food down on you but it isn’t noticeable, leave it,” Harrold explained. “If you look down, people are more likely going to notice. I always carry a spare shirt and chinos and a tie as a backup, just in case. It’s always a good idea to have something you can change into.”
While royal family guests might just have to hope no one notices messy moments like these, actual royals are always prepared, according to Harrold.
“If you’re a member of the royal family, you would always have a spare outfit,” he said.