All the world congratulates Prince William and Kate Middleton on their engagement but the Prince's choosing to give her his mother's engagement ring strikes a discordant note, bearing in mind the publicly miserable marriage that it presaged the first time around and, surely, something made especially for her would have been more appropriate. Even giving her the late Queen Mother's ring would have been better. Is it just a private matter? No, it isn't, because these people are public property.
But then there are stories of how economical members of The Firm are!
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I wonder what tailor the young prince would eventually choose?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a tradition for each new prince to choose a different one from his father. John Kent for Prince Philip, A&S (or is it T&A nowdays?) for Prince Charles. Who for Prince William?
They probably both have one but I don't know who; Maybe Thomas Mahon. Edward VII liked Henry Poole; George V went to Davies & Son and so did Edward VIII (the Dook) but since then there has not been much continuity except that Gieves & Hawkes feature for some uniforms.
ReplyDeleteBenson & Clegg claim George VI as a customer ("Founded in 1937 Benson & Clegg soon established itself as a top quality bespoke tailors and was granted a Royal Warrant to King George VI in 1944"). ER VII also went to Meyer & Mortimer, and probably others as well. Prince Philip only went to John Kent after Ted Watson (Hawes & Curtis, for whom JK worked at the time) retired.
ReplyDeleteFrog in Suit
Thanks, FiS: Hawes & Curtis, although twentieth century newboys on the block, were big hitters, counting as customers, amongst many others: Jack Buchanan; Ed. VIII; Noel Coward; Cary Grant, and Robert Donat. They do not seem to make much of their history but they have not kept uo the tailoring side. It is a great shame that their main brand-name business, these days, is 'on-cost' RTW shirts and ties but, then, I suppose that they have managed to survive as a business.
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