King Charles’ suit for his Christmas speech honors the subtle, powerful art taught to him by the late Queen

The suit King Charles is wearing for his first ever Christmas speech could be loaded with symbolism – and sending subtle messages through fashion is something the late Queen Elizabeth II was famous for. Proving he picked up a few tips from his late mother, Charles’ cobalt blue suit is representative of stability and conservatism, and the fact that he has worn the ensemble before could be a sign of continuity and trust.  

• King Charles’ suit – a favorite he has worn for important moments before - could be sending a message about stability, strength and continuity
• Charles, like his mother, understood the power of sending subtle messages through clothing
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton gets into the Christmas spirit in glittering boucle jacket as she reflects on the festive season without Queen Elizabeth

Buckingham Palace revealed the first look of King Charles’ Christmas speech, and the King is wearing a somewhat unfestive cobalt blue ensemble.

The decision to eschew Christmassy colors could be his way of sending a clear message, however.

Not only is cobalt blue associated with intelligence, stability and conservatism, but Charles has worn this particular suit – and the same abstract picket square - on important occasions before.

One such occasion was when Donald Trump visited the United Kingdom in 2019.

Indeed, Charles’ choice of suit color follows a previous investigations into why the Royal Family wears blue more than other colors.

Karen Haller, Behavioural Color Psychologist and author of The Little Book of Color, said that darker blues, like the one Charles opted for, “communicates you are in a position of authority, trustworthy, reliable and can be depended on. You have a sense of duty and take that seriously with committed focus.”

For anyone dubious about whether there was this much thought going into Charles’ suit, we need only look at the Queen for further proof. Her Majesty famously used fashion as a means of communicating subtle messages of support.

Times when the Queen sent subtle messages through her clothes and brooches

While Her Majesty, and indeed the Royal Family as a whole, must be politically neutral, there were many times over the years when people interpreted the Queen’s strategic and intentional fashion choices as a subtle message.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen recorded a message for the people of the United Kingdom, during which she touchingly promised “we will meet again.”

For the occasion, she wore a turquoise and diamond brooch that belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. The stone is said to be one that promotes healing and love.

Another example of subtle messaging came shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Queen met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Windsor Castle. Photographs of Her Majesty with the Canadian Prime Minister show the pair greeting each other in front of a large bouquet of yellow and blue flowers – the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The Queen also wore a blue dress with yellow accents, most certainly not just a coincidence and a quiet nod of support for the country.

Known for a sharp wit, the Queen could’ve also been sending a cheeky message to the then President Trump when he visited in 2019.

For the occasion, the Queen wore her Burmese ruby tiara. The rubies were gifted to Her Majesty by the Burmese people and are said to protect the wearer from evil.

Many implied the Queen was sending a message of support to Meghan Markle at the time, as Donald had been highly critical of her in the press leading up to his visit to the U.K.