ROYAL family attire has become a tradition for members of the monarchy – and that tradition applies even when they are mourning a death.
During the funeral of Queen Elizabeth on Monday, September 16, 2022 – the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex will be sporting traditional black lace mourning veils.
Why must Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle wear veils to the Queen's funeral?
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth will take place on Monday, September 16, 2022 at Westminster Abbey.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle will wear veils to the Queens funeral as this has been a routine at royal funerals for decades.
The long-running tradition sees female members of the Royal Family, including non-working royals like Meghan, wearing a traditional black lace veil in some form – also known as ''mourning veils''.
What is the royal tradition of wearing a veil?
The royal tradition of wearing a mourning veil is both symbolic and practical and has long been accepted as the correct etiquette at the funeral of a sovereign.
The typically black lace veil is symbolic as it demonstrates that the one who wears it is in mourning.
Wearing veils also allows for more privacy when grieving – as the accessory makes it more difficult for others to see their face.
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Mathew Storey, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, explained that it was Queen Victoria who set the standard for traditional royal mourning clothes which have now become accustomed as part of the royal dress code.
He said: “Mourning dress has been part of European royal culture for centuries, but it reached its peak in the 19th century with the influence of Queen Victoria, who set a standard for the rest of society to follow.
“When her beloved husband died in 1861 she abandoned the colourful clothes of her married life and, with the rest of the royal court, adopted black clothing as an outward sign of grief. Her subjects duly followed suit, causing a rush on suppliers of mourning fabric up and down the country.”
What other Royals have previously worn a veil?
As per tradition for the death of a monarch, the Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret all wore black veils to the funeral of King George, in 1952.
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After Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert passed away in 1861, she also wore the mourning veil and some form of mourning dress to honour her loss – right up until her death in 1901.
However, at the funeral of King Edward VIII in 1972, the Royal Family did not wear veils – instead the Queen chose to wear a hat.
But the late Duke’s wife, Wallis Simpson, went against the grain and sported a couture coat and chiffon veil.
In 1982, for Princess Grace of Monaco's funeral many female mourners wore lace headdresses, including Princess Caroline and Princess Diana.
The women in the Royal Family wore veils once more to Prince Philp’s funeral in April 2021 – but it they were subtle versions, compared to the traditional veils worn by Royal Family members in earlier years.
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