There are a lot of new normals in our life that have come out of the tumultuous last year, and wearing masks is one of them. But as the royal family has shown, face coverings don't have to be an annoyance. They can be an extension of our personal style.
It's not surprising to us at all that royal fashionistas, like Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, also have impeccable taste when it comes to wearing safe but stylish face masks. What did surprise us a bit was how Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall became a fashion icon in 2020 because of her own stylish cloth coverings. She wasn't afraid to take risks with colors or patterns, and she nailed it.
The royal men were a bit less daring with their mask style, often going the plain color route. But interestingly, Prince Charles spiced his style game up a bit. Camilla's fashion sense must have rubbed off on him. Here are some of the best masks worn by the royals.
Somber Black
Queen Elizabeth rightfully hasn't been seen out and about much, as she's been isolating for her protection. But she did step out in November for Remembrance Day to honor those who lost their lives serving in the military. She wore a black mask for the somber event to match her black hat and dress. The Queen recently received the vaccine, so maybe she'll do more masked engagements in 2021.
Kate Middleton Following the Queen's Lead
Kate also wore a black mask to attend the National Service of Remembrance. Most of the face masks that she's worn have been bright and colorful to match her rainbow array of dresses, but she went with a somber color for this event to match her black coatdress and fascinator. It used to be that every woman needed a little black dress; now we all need a little black mask, just in case.
Pretty in Pink
On the other end of the color spectrum is this pink patterned face covering. It was a nice pop against Kate's white dress when she visited a center dedicated to providing parents with supplies for their children. This kind of a patterned mask is what the duchess quickly became most known for wearing. The black, plain one was just for that special occasion.
Prince William's Plain Blue
Prince William seems to prefer plain masks in comparison to his wife's patterned ones. He wore this simple blue face covering in October to launch a community photography project. While it didn't outright match his outfit, the blue complemented the shades of his navy suit jacket and light blue dress shirt.
Animal Instincts
One person who really stepped up her fashion game through masks is Camilla Parker Bowles. Usually she gets overshadowed in the style department by royal women like Kate or Meghan Markle. But when it comes to face masks, Camilla may take the cake. Her cheetah-print cloth covering is so trendy. Where can we get one?
Birthday Blues
Every year, the Kensington Royal Instagram page posts a photo of Kate Middleton for her birthday on January 9. This year, she was masked up in the picture. "Birthdays have been very different in recent months, and our thoughts continue to be with all those working on the front line at this hugely challenging time," the caption read. Birthdays may be different, but one thing that will never change is the duchess's impeccable style. We love all the shades of blue from her outfit that are echoed in her mask.
Matchy Mask
Another day, another great Duchess of Cornwall face covering. She wore this one to a vaccination center in December, and we're obsessed with how she matched the mask to her outfit. The same blues and purples and reds in her plaid coat are also in her floral mask. Is this the new trend? Matchy-matchy masks?
Charles' Favorite Mask
Prince Charles has been more daring in his mask choices than his son William. But he also has far fewer options than his wife Camilla. In fact, he wears this blue patterned covering to nearly every event. He's worn it to a museum, the vaccination center with Camilla, to the Ritz London, on a trip to Berlin, to church, etc.
Meghan's Nod to RBG
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex may not be working royals anymore, but they're slowly ramping up their public work in the US. When the couple spoke on a therapy podcast in late 2020, Harry opted for a simple blue mask, but Meghan's was a nod to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The quote embroidered on her black mask says, "When there are nine."
It's a nod to one of RBG's quotes about how many women is "enough" for equality on the US Supreme Court. "People ask me sometimes, 'When do you think it will be enough? When will there be enough women on the court?' And my answer is: 'When there are nine,'" Ginsburg famously said.
Monochromatic Mask
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wife of the Queen's son Prince Edward, totally nailed the whole matching her mask to her outfit thing. She wore a forest green face covering to coordinate with her green coat. And we love the polka dots on the mask to help it still stand out a bit. In Meghan and Harry's absence, we've noticed Sophie doing a lot more engagements, and we've come to really appreciate her sleek style.
The Cutest Paw Print Mask
Camilla once again won the mask game with this paw print patterned face covering. It was a fitting choice for the engagement she was doing that day — ceremonially opening new kennels at the Battersea Dogs Home rescue center. And she paired the look with an adorable dog brooch. So on point.
Christmas-Themed
For the holiday season, Sophie and her husband Edward put on these red and green patterned masks. They were helping prepare and cook meals for those in need over Christmas, and they decided to dress on theme for the occasion. Not everyone loves masks, but we do love the creative expression they give us. That and the whole protecting ourselves and others thing.
Kate Has a Christmas Mask, Too
Around the same time, Kate debuted a Christmassy mask of her own. Her red tartan face covering was the perfect complement to her red coat. She put the ensemble together in early December for a trip to Royal Berkshire Hospital, and she just brought so much holiday spirit with her. Hopefully we won't need masks next Christmas, but if we do, we're going with this look.
Pop of Poppies
The poppy flower is a symbol for those who died in World War I, and people in Britain often wear poppy pins around Remembrance Day. Camilla did wear a poppy pin for Germany's National Day of Mourning while she was in Berlin, but then she took things a step further. We don't know how or where she got this poppy face mask, but we're obsessed with her level of commitment.
Polka-Dot Prince
Prince William finally went with a face covering that had a little bit of a pattern for a visit with hardworking hospital staff members. From far away, the navy mask looks plain, but close up we can see the smattering of polka dots that cover it. It's the best the prince could do to shake his style up a bit.
Florals for Winter? Groundbreaking
The floral pattern is expected and overdone in springtime. Anyone can wear flowers when flowers are blooming. It takes a real fashionista to see florals as a winter option as well. That's what Kate did when she wore this flowery mask to an event thanking frontline workers for agreeing to serve over the Christmas holiday.
Sophie Also Likes Winter Florals
The Duchess of Cambridge wasn't the only royal family member to give winter florals a try. Sophie Wessex was spotted in this green flowery face covering while volunteering at a charity for adults with disabilities. Along with Camilla and Kate, Sophie has had a lot of fun with her face mask patterns of late.
Muted Mask
Gasp! Is that a new mask on Prince Charles? It's true, he changed things up for a trip to Berlin in November 2020. Instead of his usual light blue mask, he went with this navy face covering that had small pops of color. He was in Germany with Camilla for their remembrance event, so the more muted mask made sense.
Summertime Seersucker
Meghan's blue seersucker print mask was so stylish for this back-to-school summer charity event with baby2baby. According to People magazine, the fashionable face covering was designed by Royal Jelly Harlem, a Black-owned brand from a mother-daughter executive team. Prince Harry was also wearing a mask at this event — a plain olive-colored one.
Bright Blue
In December 2020, Kate and Will took a train tour around the United Kingdom to visit essential workers and communities during the holiday season. It was pretty bold of the duchess to wear summery bright blue to the winter occasion, but she likes to push the style envelope. We like her matching blue flower print mask.
