The House of Windsor is placed under an impossible microscope. Too busy, and they're wasting precious public time; too leisurely, and they're wasting precious public time. There's no respite. And now, it seems the hawks are circling Prince Harry's wardrobe too.
William Hanson, etiquette expert (and a 'special force in the world of politeness' according to the Financial Times - unless it concerns peoples' clothes, naturally) has spoken out against Harry's chosen look for The Lion King premiere in London. And it's all to do with a bow tie. Or, more precisely, one that's supposedly pre-assembled.
First off, there's no way to tell if this bowtie has been truly 'premade'. Yes, it may look a little neat, and yes, it would take the most dexterous and skilled of paws to create such a finish, but this man is the Duke of Sussex. He's got footmen - a small army of them, probably - to ensure he looks his finest for the realm.
Secondly, who actually cares? In a time when menswear at large is undergoing something of a rebrand, the old rules are changing. So, when Hanson went on to suggest that impropriety had occurred (Prince Harry may not be wearing a proper dress shirt), we couldn't help but, well, shrug. The end result stands toe-to-toe with the masters and commanders of the red carpet, and the 34-year-old has gleaned a contemporary, genuinely cool outfit that still sits on the classic: peak lapels, razor-sharp fit and all the right accessories.
Perhaps we'd understand if this was a proper, traditional-filled exercise. But royal wedding, this is not. It's a premiere. For The Lion King: a very unrealistic film that has recast Hamlet with feline predators (and other creatures) that possess the miraculous ability to communicate in the human language without eating one another for supper.
And so, while some rules do apply to the rigid world of tailoring, know that these days, they're just guidelines. After all, a pre-made bowtie may be a disaster amongst the dusty circles of etiquette experts, but it's certainly not a man-made one.
Marks & Spencer
A good tuxedo needn't cost the world. Opt for M&S, and you've enough left over to pay for the all-important alteration: that's what'll take you from mediocre to money.
£89, marksandspencer.com
Hugo
Cut to a body-skimming silhouette, Hugo is every bit the engineering beauty we've come to expect from the German brand.
£389, hugoboss.com
Paul Smith
Nobody does 'smart' like a Brit. And nobody does black tie like its national stalwarts, with Paul Smith producing a luxury, fail-safe take on the classic tux.
£730, mrporter.com
Tom Ford
Italian-made, stretch-infused wool and lined in silk; this Tom Ford number has ticked all the boxes of a trend-defying tuxedo.
£3,920, selfridges.com
Retraction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that William Hanson worked with Minding Manners International. This was amended on the 18 July 2019.
