So there is definitely a thought behind it.
When we see William and Kate out and about with their offspring, we only rarely spot the young British princes in long trousers. And anyone who thinks that the little royals simply hate long trousers is wrong. We are talking about a long British tradition here.
Shorts
Although we don’t often see the Waleses and their offspring in full photos, Prince George and Prince Louis almost always appear in shorts. Whether it’s freezing outside or the sparrows are falling dead from the roof: the little royals always make their appearance in shorts.
For special occasions, such as a church service at Christmas, an exception is of course made:
Old tradition
According to a centuries-old tradition, the royal British and the rest of the upper class do not wear long trousers until the age of eight. In this way they distinguish between the different social classes. Wearing shorts before the age of eight is therefore associated with people from the lower class.
For this reason we see William and Kate’s youngest son, Louis, five, almost exclusively in shorts. Prince George is now ten years old and since then we have seen him in smart trousers or long trousers. But until a few years ago, George also mainly appeared in shorts. For example, at the baptism of his then newborn brother Louis:
William and Harry
The tradition has been passed on from generation to generation, because their father Prince William and uncle Prince Harry used to be spotted wearing shorts as young royals.
Another strange tradition
It is now clear that the British are not averse to a tradition here and there. Especially when it comes to Christmas traditions, they can’t get crazy enough. For example, it is said that within the palace walls it is customary to weigh all guests before and after Christmas dinner.
It seems to be a very old tradition, started by King Edward VII. He was very concerned about the health of his family. Everyone should eat enough during Christmas dinner, he thought. He could measure this by weighing everyone. The tradition has continued since then and everyone traditionally stands on the antique scales during Christmas.
Source: Blauw Bloed, Glamial archive | Image: NL Image
