All the black outfits

Does it really matter? We can always find something black if need be.

The Queen consort has worn what looked like the same outfit three times and samd hat mird thsn once. Megan has definitely worn the same black dress twice. I noticed the King wearing the same suit and waistcoat twice.

It's all the females (can I still use females without offending) who are not part of the Royal Family I wondered about with regards to outfits. Suppose if you are atrached to a dignitary or are one yourself a black outfit will be a standard outfit. A change for every Service though? Hats too, finding one at short notice would be a nightmare. I can recall elderly people continuing to wear black until the first anniversary of a death. All the curtains in a road were pulled closed for a hearse passing and at a Wake men (again apologies) were always seated and served first.

When my dear quote recently Mum passed away I asked everyone to come wearing whatever they like and black certainly wasn’t obligatory. Some chose to wear black, some didn’t, I wore a navy lace dress, no hats and we had a wonderful wake, at a lovely hotel, following at short service at the crematorium as per my Mum’s last wishes.

Someone above remarked that they did not like the net skirt worn by one of the princesses for the vigil - I think it was Beatrice - but I liked it a lot. I preferred the longer skirts most of the women wore. I think Camilla sometimes needs to add an inch or two to her skirts.

I have tried keeping by some funereal garments, but sadly I have outgrown them! I was relieved the last funeral I attended asked we wore something comfortable, both my sister and myself wore navy and white

When my mother died, she had requested that no one was to wear black and that we should have a party after the funeral. That’s exactly what we did, complete with a cake - much to the horror of my eldest daughter who was about 15. But we all had a marvellous time. There were tears, there was laughter and many a story told. A real celebration of the woman my mother had been.

The nearest to a black outfit I could muster is a black and white dress I bought for my sister’s funeral, for which there was no dress code except what you felt comfortable in. Black doesn’t suit me, although I have had black velvet dresses in the past.

A late friend’s family asked for men to wear colourful shirts and ladies to wear a good splash of colour to their father’s funeral. His widow didn’t wear the black outfit she had planned, she wore an ordinary skirt and top she grabbed from the cupboard at the last minute. It really didn’t matter, in the end.

I wore a navy dress for my husband's funeral. His son, brothers, nephews and our daughter's partner all wore similar black (short sleeved) shirts and black trousers. They all decided to do that as a tribute to my husband as he always wore that - rarely any.other colour. At my son's insistence they all untucked their shirts as his dad never tucked his shirt in! At my brother-in-law's funeral 3 years before his brothers all wore identical blue hawaiian shirts and his girlfriend a red hawaiian shirt .

anyone remember the stanley holloway monologue, brown boots. makes the point well. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u761ZEreCpg

Apparently the tradition of wearing black /dark colours for mourning goes back even further to the Romans who wore dark togas to mourn - light ones being usual apparel.

I never wear black apart from black trousers in the colder months. At my mother's and MIL's funerals I wore navy and white.

My mother always kept a black coat and shoes in the wardrobe but wore neutral colours underneath it, so it she went to the wake she wouldn't take her coat off so as not to offend!

My grandmother had a black dress and coat, hat, shoes, stockings and gloves for such occasions and would alter the dress and coat slightly so that no one would recognise it. She never went anywhere without a hat or gloves.

When my grandfather died my Mum closed all the curtains and said they had to stay closed until after the funeral - three weeks later! I refused to keep my bedroom curtains closed, it was so gloomy and depressing, and it caused a big row between us.

I have a lovely Welsh gold mourning locket decorated with black enamel, it was my great-grandmothers after the death of her husband. There is nothing inside it. It originally had a lock of hair which my GM removed when it passed to her. It's always admired when I wear it, but if I say what it is people shudder and ask how I could possibly wear something so sad. I just see it as a rather beautiful piece of jewellery that has a link to my ancestors.

I have a “mourning “ ring with black enamel and a small diamond. Given to a great great aunt I believe on the loss of a. Child. I really like it but
The enamel has almost worn away but I can’t find anywhere to have it repaired,

Is whether or not black suits one the only criterion in deciding on suitable clothes to indicate mourning?
I know that few expect it nowadays but there seems to be unspoken criticism of what is the custom in the Royal Family .
If wearing black is the convention, so be it - whether it suits anybody or not.

My point is that I don’t have anything black in my wardrobe simply because it’s not a colour I would buy. It’s not that I wouldn’t wear black! It’s that I don’t possess anything black.

Is it a good or a bad thing to go and buy an outfit for one occasion of a couple of hours?

I think the RF has done a good job. It's a hard task. Who cares where the clothes come from?

Perhaps their local Primark opens late

Aaagh - is it really so hard to spell Meghan correctly?

Don’t like Princess Anne in these military outfits. The Queen never wore these outfits perhaps the exception was The Trooping of the Colour when she wore a red uniform. Anyone agree?

I noticed that, on the day the Queen passed away, all the TV presenters were suddenly wearing black. Did they a) have some prior warning, b) dash home for a black outfit, c) nip out to the shops or d) raid the BBC costume department??

No, I thought Princess Anne looked superb in her military uniform with trousers.

The soldiers, sailors and airforce personnel taking part in the processions were a mix of men and women, all looking almost indistinguishable in their identical uniforms. There were even women among the naval team pulling the gun carriage and their officer in charge was a woman.

I am afraid that was then MacGran43. This is now, where women play an equal role and it was a joy to see Princess Anne epitomising the progress made over 70 years in putting women in the public eye in official roles.

No one I have spoken to has been other than delighted that Princess Anne took her part in these ceremonies dressed so appropriately.

I think it is easy to find black clothes - a colour I never wear BUT I wonder about Harry's uniform. Was it specially made for him in the UK as his in the USA? or was it flown in on a plane from the USA? If in this country - where was it and the medals kept ? I also wonder why Edward's son at the age of 14 had medals.

People wear black at other times other than funerals.Office wear or formal wear is often black.Its slimming too so folk do wear it day to day with or without a colourful blouse or jumper.But i guess all black for a funeral is also considered a mark of respect too.

i think those were jubilee medals given by the queen to members of her family.
he would have received the diamond and platinum jubilee ones.
also agree with MOnica and hcw.
disagree totally with Macgran43; and it's trooping the colour. not of.
since you seem particular about military matters.

i think, on the sad day, the news media received a message that simply said london bridge is...
as they all had black clothes all afternoon.
so probably told to wait for official announcement, and to fill til then.
andrew marr on LBC still broke down in tears as he made the announcement.
and vanessa felz barely held it together on talkradio.