Inappropriate Outfits Worn By Prince William

When it comes to royal fashion, eyes tend to stay on the women of the royal family. From Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton to Meghan Markle, the women of the royal family have received praise and criticism for their fashion statements. The men of the royal family have rarely made the lists detailing the most inappropriate royal outfits. However, that doesn't mean that the men of the royal family are immune to fashion mishaps and poor clothes choices.

William, Prince of Wales, has been in the public eye since his childhood. With cameras snapping photos each time the prince has stepped outside, it was inevitable that he would get caught up in a fashion faux pas. Although he is less publicly judged for his outfits than Kate Middleton, it seems that Prince William and heir to the British throne has had a couple inappropriate and ill-advised fashion missteps.

While he is not one to be seen in athleisure, William, Prince of Wales, surprised royal critics when he opted to wear white denim at a 2016 polo match, according to GQ. Jeans are not completely off limits for royals, but the circumstances surrounding the outfit matter significantly, according to etiquette expert Diana Mather. "[O]utside walking the dogs for example, then jeans are fine," Mather told the BBC. However, one doesn't usually wear jeans — white jeans for that matter — when doing yoga.

While GQ praised William for taking on the men's summer staple of white jeans, others did not think his choice of pants was appropriate. William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were at a polo match, a reasonable place to opt for denim. However, it was when William did some yoga-inspired stretches that people began scratching their heads. Both royal men and women must be careful about wearing jeans in public, Mather told the BBC. "Many places will not allow jeans as they are still seen as very casual wear, so it is better to play safe for both sexes," Mather said.

While William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, received mostly positive media coverage during and after their 2016 tour of India, some critics took issue with the images that came out of that visit. For the most part, photos of the trip capture the couple surrounded by smiling faces and being welcomed into Indian culture, at times wearing traditional scarves or, in the case of Kate Middleton, dresses inspired by Indian designs. William played the fashion game a little safer, but that didn't stop him from getting backlash for one outfit in particular.

The couple wore flowers around their necks while playing soccer with children in an impoverished neighborhood. While the lighthearted looks of both spectators and the royals created great press in the moment, comments from critics later alleged that the visit — and the outfits the Prince of Wales wore during it — were insensitive. "India may have gained independence nearly 70 years ago, but that doesn't stop Kate and William from using the country as a playground for their publicity stunt," wrote the Independent. 

The Daily Beast noted how Britain and India's intertwined history created a "cultural and etiquette minefield." While William and Kate completed the trip without other incidents, we would later see how the Prince of Wales got into trouble for his choice of outfit abroad.

It's no secret that William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, were in the middle of a public relations fiasco during their March 2022 Caribbean tour. "These unfortunate images are a relic of the past and could have been taken in the 1800s," civil rights activist and professor Rosalea Hamilton said, according to Woman & Home. Hamilton, a leader within the Jamaica-based activist organization Advocates Network, told The Guardian the people of the Caribbean remember the days of colonialism and are still feeling the effects of its legacy.

Jennifer Housen, a Jamaican lawyer, gave additional insight to The Guardian about the ill-advised public relations nightmare caused by Prince William and Kate Middleton's Caribbean tour. Instead of parades and photo opportunities, Housen says that meaningful conversations examining Britain's imperialist history need to occur. She called the couple's visit "cringeworthy."

However, it was Prince William's royal parade outfit that seemingly highlighted the controversial nature of the monarchy's role in the Caribbean's past and present. Clad in a white military jacket lined with medals and a blue sash, the Prince of Wales seemed out-of-touch in light of growing discussions about systemic racism perpetuated by colonialism. "[Prince William and Kate Middleton] signify this young generation is continuing the monarchical traditions of holding one race superior and another inferior," Hamilton said (per Woman & Home).