Zelensky's casual clothes make a bold statement during historic meeting with King Charles

King Charles has met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at Buckingham Palace.

• King Charles has only been King since September 2022, following his mother's passing.
• On January 8, he took over from the former monarch in a major way as he met with the Ukrainian President for an important diplomatic meeting.
• In other royal news, King Charles' coronation throne has a controversy behind it that goes back centuries.

King Charles III hosted an audience at Buckingham Palace for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he made a surprise visit to the UK. The meeting with the King was to discuss how the UK will offer further support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion that took place nearly a year ago on February 24, 2022.

Typically when guests are invited to meet a member of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace, it is expected that they will dress for the occasion and go for formal attire. President Zelenskyy wore military ware and had an unshaven beard for this event. 

Some noticed this less formal attire and commented on his look. "Alongside all the weapon systems, tanks, ammunition and drones do you think we could send him a decent suit?" said one person. "Those clothes are disrespectful to king and crown. Why not change into normal clothes for the visit?" said another. A third even added, "There was no, at least, a military green tailor-made suit for Zelensky?"

However, there is a good reason that the President was dressed down for this discussion with the King, and one commenter neatly explained why it would not have been appropriate for the President to look dapper in a freshly pressed suit for this diplomatic meeting.

"Zelensky wouldn’t go back to wearing a suit and tie and shaving his beard until Ukrainian victory in the war. He is showing that he's still with his country mentally and still in the military mindset. He's not here to schmooze or prove anything. He's only here to request help for his people," said one commenter defending the Ukrainian President. 

It is thought that the UK will offer further support in the form of training, equipment, and Russian sanctions and the King and President will discuss these measures during his brief trip to the UK. 

Speaking about his meeting with the King, the President said, "I had a meeting with King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I congratulated him on his recent accession to the throne and wished peace and prosperity to the British people."

"It is an honor for me to be the first President of Ukraine in the history of Ukrainian-British relations to be honored by the British monarch with an audience. I am grateful to His Majesty for the warm welcome and for supporting Ukrainian citizens who have taken refuge from the war in the United Kingdom," he concluded.