All the black outfits

Carrie Johnson often rents her outfits and rented her outfit for the funeral

NotTooOld

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.

That was me NotTooOld.
I too like the longer length but it was the net fluttering untidily around, plus seeing through it made it look too fussy.

I did think Meghan looked very well dressed. The two different coats I saw her wear were decidedly unfussy.

Sadly I have two black dresses and two black coats due to my partner dying and needing something for the vigil and then his funeral. I’ve worn both since to different funerals.

Namsnanny It is a current fashion and young women can be seen wearing these net skirts in all sorts of circumstances, including funerals, where I thought it looked fine as part of a black ensemble.

Megan looked lovely. Her outfit was perfect. Charlotte too, looked very much the princess. The children did very well today.

They all did very well. The emotion was raw there from them all. You could see they were all visibly upset

Carrie Johnson outfit wasn't suitable to me for a funeral. I loved the outfit. I just didn't think it was suitable, for the Queen funeral.

I have one black classic dress in my wardrobe for funerals if I need to wear black. I don't use it for anything else. I've never worn it.

My last black dress I wore for my late husband celebration of life service. As soon as I got home it went in the wash and then in the charity bag. I never wanted to wear it again. I then bought a new timeless black dress.

I would prefer people wore colour when it's my time. I am known for my colour. The louder the better

I also wonder why Edward's son at the age of 14 had medals

kjmpde

The medals Viscount Severn were not anything to do with military. He was in fact displaying one medal for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and another one for her late Majesty's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.

MerylStreep. The hearse was adapted from a Jaguar by a local coach-building firm in Wigan. Not far from where I live. Apparently they were only told that it was for a Royal family member, but I imagine that they must have guessed.
They did a wonderful job on it, anyway. They must be very proud to have their handiwork used to carry the Queen on her last journey, in front of billions of people worldwide.

It was the same with household staff, they were wearing anniversary medals and some were wearing medals of the Royal Victorian Order, an order personal to the monarch, who awards them to members of their Household, for exceptional duty or on retirement.

Wouldn't be an issue for me - I love black and most of my clothes are black. Call me an ageing goth

I imagine most people have a black outfit handy for funerals, but I expect there was quite a rush to the shops from 'ordinary' people who had been invited to the Queen's funeral. You would want something a bit special for such a once in a lifetime occasion.

I sing in a choir, and we wear black when we perform. Having lost weight since our last concert, pre Covid, I needed a new outfit, but couldn't find anything in the shops. I took a chance and bought online, and was lucky that it fits, and looks good. It will also double as a funeral outfit.

It never used to be 'the thing' to wear black to a wedding, or to emulate the bride by wearing white. Both seem quite commonplace these days. Times change, I suppose.

Actually, nanna8, I think it’s a lot less common now. During the past 5 years or so I’ve attended too many old friends’ funerals, and hardly anyone was wearing black at any of them.

I cant remember anyone in all black at my mothers funera in 1999. My sister wore grey and I wore purple. I buy very few clothes nowadays and dont think I have anything all black in my wardrobe.

MawtheMerrier you have taken the words out of my mouth, thank you. The ‘signal’ of bereavement is part of the tradition of wearing black and I have no objection to it. It also removes to a great extent the problem of what to wear as it is a sort of uniform.
There is a tradition that it is unlucky to buy new clothes for a funeral.

Superstition rather than tradition.

M0nica

Namsnanny It is a current fashion and young women can be seen wearing these net skirts in all sorts of circumstances, including funerals, where I thought it looked fine as part of a black ensemble.

Fair enough. Fashion changes all the time, I guess I shall have to catch up.

Like MawTheMerrier I still like the idea of black for a funeral, whatever the fashion. Very few people agree with me nowadays. Preferring to let people choose.
I like the idea of tradition and marking out some occasions from normal life.
I've just been watching some snippets of the Royals on TV and apropos above, the (late, sorry) Queen worn top to toe vanilla/white to Charles and Camilla's wedding!
I didn't remember that.

Athrawes

Where does the idea of wearing black come from? Does anyone know?
I loathe wearing black and have told my family to wear anything except black - it's so draining.

When a family member is no longer with us and we all feel very sad black impacts - in my view - on the lovely and happy occasions we've spent with that person. I've been to several funerals now with mourners not wearing black and to me it was far more acceptable to share the good experiences through our clothes as well as our conversation

Probably from some religion or other, guilt tripping everyone and banning any form of colour that may lift spirits after a death! I'm more a 'celebrate the life' kinda gal meself! I won't have anyone at my sending off probably but if I do , I'd want them to wear orange please........not ALL orange. A flash will do (unless they're feeling orangey that day?)

Katherine and Meghan looked fabulous from top to toe as usual.

Loved Charlotte's little hat.

I like that Carrie rents a lot of her clothes - she sets a good example - but I didn't think her outfit was particularly suitable this time.

I really like Lady Louise - she's a very graceful and elegant young woman.

Samantha Cameron looked very smart.

Sarah Brown (Gordon's wife) didn't look her best in a very unflattering too tight too short outfit.

Just my opinions, of course.

My father was known and respected in the small Highland village where my elderly parent lived. When my father died, my mother was consoled and pleased that all the houses along the funeral route had the blinds down.

I can remember when I was a child the curtains being drawn if it was the funeral of one of the neighbours.

Stiletto heels are a symbol of womens' helplessness and consequent inferiority to men.

Princesss Anne and the Muslim woman guest were suitably modestly attired without any ultra feminine nonsense. Queen Camilla had sensible shoes.

I read in Jeremy Paxman's autobiography that, in the 1990's, the BBC kept a wardrobe of grey suits, white shirts and black ties (or black shawls for female presenters) to be worn if they had to announce the death of a prominent member of the royal family. They were supposed to keep the key to this wardrobe in their pocket and as soon as they heard the news, they had to get the lift to the 6th floor, unlock the wardrobe and change their clothes while making their way back down again in time to make the announcement! It never actually worked in practice.

One thing that struck me from the newspapers was how few photographs there were of the Queen Consort. She hadn't gone over the top with her outfit and is obviously not in the first flush of youth, but she is married to the king. On such an occasion surely she warrants some recognition.

Caleo I absolutely agree. I cannot understand in this modern age why any woman would want to wear shoes that hobble and limit them in the way that noble Chinese women were crippled for life by having their feet bound.

I decide in my late teens that I was never going to wear shoes that were not comfortable and I couldn't walk a couple of miles in. This has never precluded me wearing smart or pretty shoes, or even shoes with a heel up to a couple inches high. As long as they were comfortable and I could walk home in them.

I have always been very aware that men like women in high heels because essentially it hobbles them and makes them accessible sex objects.

Sparklefizz

Katherine and Meghan looked fabulous from top to toe as usual.

Loved Charlotte's little hat.

I like that Carrie rents a lot of her clothes - she sets a good example - but I didn't think her outfit was particularly suitable this time.

I really like Lady Louise - she's a very graceful and elegant young woman.

Samantha Cameron looked very smart.

Sarah Brown (Gordon's wife) didn't look her best in a very unflattering too tight too short outfit.

Just my opinions, of course.

We all have different taste ourselves, don’t we, and that influences how we think of others outfits. My favourite outfit was Princess Eugenie, I loved her hat. Her dress had gold buttons which looked nice, I thought Carrie’s was a bit too low, and a bit too bling.

I saw an article about Catherine's hat, she wore a black pillbox with a feather to a window just before her own, Autumn Phillips later wore it and Lady Louise wore it to Westminster Hall. So sharing might help...