What in the blazers? How to take a princess seriously

In the appropriate attire section on job descriptions for royal princesses, beneath crazy hats at weddings, embellished gowns at state dinners and skinny jeans for relaxed photo sessions, there must be a hidden clause.

Skip the fine print about health and safety issues at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and the protocol of disembarking from horse-drawn carriages and you might stumble upon a guide to looking intelligent.

On the offical occasions where princesses are required to speak thoughtfully on important subjects, tiaras are almost always traded for sensible blazers and jackets, steamed within an inch of their silk lining.

The trend was started by hard-working royal Princess Anne, who adapted her equestrian attire for speeches in the late seventies. The buttoned-up and occasionally unbuttoned approach was put on the fashion map by Princess Diana in the eighties and now the next generation of crowned heirs are tailoring their appearance for intellectual credibility.

A crisp white jacket from Alexander McQueen was worn by Princess Catherine at the rostrum for the inaugural meeting of a business taskforce for early childhood this month. The $2,790 jacket is popular with Catherine, who owns the style in black, purple, navy and pink.

Catherine wears these investment pieces in the style of a blazer, which is traditionally a more relaxed cut than a jacket, leaving them unbuttoned over casual blouses. For a recent trip to a supermarket to film a promotional video for charity, Catherine chose a more affordable textured blazer from Zara, which did not have silk lining and has only been seen in cream.

It’s not just British royalty who choose full cotton, linen or woollen jackets for facing boardrooms (and bored rooms). Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and former newsreader Queen Letizia of Spain all choose blazers for business. Letizia even lent her Carolina Herrera blazer to 17-year-old Princess Leonor for her daughter’s solo outing to the Red Cross.

With Princess Mary playing a strong blazer game in Denmark, Australian royals are rare below the equator but model and current Miss Universe Australia titleholder Monique Riley understands the importance of swapping sceptres and sashes for a blazer when trying to convey a serious message.