REPORT: TRACY SCHAVERIEN
T he King stepped into his mother’s shoes last week to present a prestigious fashion award in her name.
His Majesty mingled with guests including David Beckham and Woody Harrelson at the British Fashion Council event, where he handed out the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
Looking dapper himself in a sharp pinstriped blue suit, crisp white shirt and pink-and-grey tie, teamed with a blue pocket square, the monarch warmly shook hands with David, who is the council’s ambassadorial president, as the former England football captain handed him a jar of honey from the beehive at his Cotswolds home.
Thanking him, the King, who, together with Queen Camilla, is also a keen beekeeper, joked: “We shall have to do a swap.”
Buckingham Palace and Clarence House have six beehives between them and produce more than 300 jars of honey a year for the palace kitchens, while the Queen produces her own at home in Wiltshire to sell for charity in Fortnum & Mason.
Ahead of their meeting, David, 48, who famously queued for 13 hours to pay his respects to the Queen as she lay in state in September, said: “It’s been a big few weeks for His Majesty and the family, but we are all very excited about being here. It will be a pleasure to meet our King today. I have always been a huge royalist and I was brought up to love the royal family.”
David, who looked smart in a dark suit and tie, added: “Fashion has been a part of my life for many years. Even when I was a young boy, I always liked to dress in things that were different – and different hair styles, as you’ve seen over the years.”
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The King also chatted to Hollywood star Woody, who was at the showcase event in the
