King Charles Makes Surprising London Fashion Week Debut

King Charles sitting in the front row at a fashion show — (Image credit: Getty Images)

King Charles certainly isn't the first person you picture sitting in the front row next to Stella McCartney at London Fashion Week. As our fashion features editor, Emma Childs, said in the Marie Claire Slack today, "King Charles at Tolu Coker is not a sentence I've ever imagined typing." But there was actually a very good reason for the monarch to be sitting at the British-Nigerian designer's show on Thursday, February 19— although the timing for his big moment wasn't ideal amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest.

The King's Foundation supports young people in learning traditional skills—including sewing, embroidery, millinery and other areas of fashion—and King Charles met with British makers and apprentices at 180 Strand, home of London Fashion Week.

His Majesty is deeply involved in the sustainable fashion movement, as Frederico Marchetti, founder of Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, told Marie Claire last year. Keeping with his interests, The King met with designers working to promote sustainable practices—including those from the social enterprise Brand63Africa—before heading to his front-row seat at Tolu Coker's presentation.

King Charles wearing a gray suit sitting next to Stella McCartney at Fashion Week — King Charles sits with Stella McCartney at London Fashion Week.

The monarch was seated between Stella McCartney and the CEO of the British Fashion Council Laura Weir, during the show, and beforehand, King Charles took time to view an exhibition by McCartney focused on sustainable British innovation. The British designer is a newly appointed ambassador of The King’s Sustainable Markets Initiative, and her exhibit showcased materials such as plant-based feather alternatives and plastic free sequins.

King Charles isn't the first monarch to sit in the front row at London Fashion Week. Queen Elizabeth famously joined Anna Wintour at the 2018 Richard Quinn Show before she presented him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.

King Charles clapping in the front row at London Fashion Week — King Charles sits in the front row at London Fashion Week on February 19.

The King's appearance at London Fashion Week happened just hours after his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Andrew, who once worked as a trade envoy for the U.K., has been accused of sharing confidential documents to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement released Thursday morning, King Charles wrote, "I have learned with the deepest concern the news about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and suspicion of misconduct in public office. What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and co-operation."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.