Why do Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis wear ‘old-fashioned’ clothes?

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stole the spotlight yet again on Easter Sunday, as they attended the annual church service at Windsor Castle with their parents, Prince William and Princess Kate.

Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte seven, and four-year-old Louis looked adorable as they matched their parents, Catherine and William, in all blue hues as they stepped out for the traditional Easter Sunday church service.

While Prince George, who is second-in-line to the throne in the royal line of succession, sported a similar navy suit to his dad, younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis sported traditional outfits.

Princess Charlotte wore a traditional floral dress, complete with puffed sleeves and a tie at the back. She wore the dress with wooly blue tights and black Mary-Jane pumps. While Louis wore a smart shirt and blazer, teamed with blue shorts and knee-high socks with loafers.

The choice of wearing the color blue is actually not a coincidence. We have previously explained the reason the family likes to wear blue hues for important occasions.

While Prince George seems to be dressing in a more modern way as he gets older, often wearing a suit similar to Prince William, the younger two Wales children are still very much being dressed in a traditional way.

Fans were quick to comment on the young royals' outfit choices, with one saying, "Kate seems to dress all kids as if it's 1956" and another commenting that the clothes were "old-fashioned". 

Another praised her choice of traditional clothing, writing, "Love the Mary Jane's. Love the classic way she dresses the kids," and one fan said of Princess Charlotte's ensemble, "She's a cute girl, those stockings are hideous though."

A further fan slated Charlotte and Louis' outfits, commenting, "Summer dress and thick tights! Another dress disaster for a child along with Louis' ill-matched outfit!"

The Wales children wore similar outfits on Christmas day, with Princess Charlotte sporting coloured tights once again and Prince Louis wearing his trademark knee-high socks - something Prince George also always wore when he was younger.

So why do Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis dress so traditionally?

It has been said that the Duchess of Cambridge puts her children in retro-inspired outfits for official occasions because it marks the formality of the event. 

In the same way that Catherine would never wear her favorite blue jeans or white sneakers to an official occasion, George, Charlotte and Louis also have their own wardrobe of smart clothes for royal events, separate from their day-to-day outfits.

The shorts and knee-high socks combo on young royal boys especially is a royal family tradition. Back in 2018, etiquette expert William Hansontold  Harper's Bazaar, "It's a very English thing to dress a young boy in shorts. Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England."

He added, "Although times are (slowly) changing, a pair of trousers on a young boy is considered quite middle class – quite suburban. And no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban. Even the [then] Duchess of Cambridge."

So, understandably, you won't see the youngsters in their casual wear when they attend royal events, such as the Easter Sunday church service. 

Childrenswear designer Rachel Riley, who has dressed Prince George on a number of occasions, has also explained that often the choice of wardrobe for the young children is aimed at looking ‘timeless' in official photographs.

"The reason why I design clothes that way is because if they wear very simple things, it's about the child, and it's timeless in that you can't really date a specific photo or put them in something that seems out of date," she has told The Telegraph.

Riley also highlights the fact that the Prince and Princess of Wales are keen not to draw too much attention to their children than is necessary. 

Prince William has been very vocal about wanting George, Charlotte and Louis to be able to grow up ‘outside of palace walls', and by dressing their children formally when they are in the public eye, Kate and William can help guard against their children being recognised frequently in public.

"I think they are going for clothing that is classic and timeless, rather than clothes that draw attention to them" Riley said of the royal children's attire when they are in front of the cameras.

It is rumoured that when out and about in their own time with their family, at school or with their nanny, the young children are dressed similarly to any other normal child their age.