Earlier today, Queen Elizabeth and the royal family gathered at Westminster Abbey for a memorial service honoring Prince Philip, who died last April amid a COVID-19 lockdown. Hundreds joined them in the pews, such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, and representatives from charities associated with the late duke, as well as many other high-profile government figures. Most donned the traditional black for the occasion.
However when Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Anne walked in, they did so wearing a shade of forest green. It was no accident: The choice was very much coordinated and intentional, as the specific shade was the official livery color of Prince Philip.
Livery, for a quick definition, is the distinctive clothing worn by a person of rank—and their household. “The Duke of Edinburgh’s official livery color is dark green, known as Edinburgh Green. It has been used for staff liveries—the Duke of Edinburgh’s page at the coronation wore dark green and silver—and private cars,” reads the British monarchy’s official website. For Prince Philip’s funeral last April, the Range Rover carrying his coffin was retrofitted in the shade. The queen accented her Edinburgh Green outfit with a diamond-and-ruby brooch that was a gift from Philip in 1966.
The royal family is no stranger to using fashion as a message—Queen Elizabeth, for example, always tries to wear bright colors during official appearances so she’s easily spotted by the crowd. (That way, everyone can say they saw the queen.) The Duchess of Cambridge recently wore Ukrainian blue during a recent visit to the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London as a show of support for those affected by the war in the Eastern European country.
Today the family’s coordinated uniform put forth a sense of poignancy, a touching visual tribute to the Windsor family patriarch and public servant.
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