Secret reason King Charles leaves his second button jacket undone – and it’s hilarious

Despite always looking prim and proper at events, King Charles, has often been spotted with the last button unbuttoned on his jackets – for a hilarious historical reason. It is thought the style first originated under the reign of King Edward VII who ruled England from 1901 to 1910. Known for his keen sense of style, he had a significant influence on men’s fashion.

According to popular anecdotes King Edward VII, who had a rather portly figure, found it more comfortable leaving the bottom button of his waistcoat and suit jackets undone. This practice soon became a fashionable statement among the British aristocracy and, later, among men worldwide. It is thought that Edward’s style was adopted by others not only out of respect for the king but also because it genuinely improved the fit and appearance of the suit, allowing more freedom of movement and a better overall silhouette.

The “Edwardian Theory” reported by Robert Johnson, fashion director of GQ UK, believes the theories surrounding the former King’s jacket are not always considered truthful but more funny stories that ran mouth to mouth – and that this trend was for two different reasons. The first theory of King Edward VII’s reportedly unhealthy lifestyle (the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography reports that he normally ate twelve courses during the day, drank, and smoked a lot), claims the King was more comfortable with the last button undone and that everybody copied his fashion.

The second theory, was that King Edward VII wanted to pay homage to the horse riding coat, known as the ‘lounge suit’. The lounge suit was meant to be worn for casual events and it had a loose cut to look the best when riding a horse. For this reason, to let the jacket drape properly when riding, the lounge suite replaced the traditional riding coats, and they decided to unbutton the last button. Therefore, Edward VII decided to keep the last button undone to pay homage to the horse ride coat.

While the exact origins of the practice are difficult to verify, the legend of Edward VII’s influence remains strong. This unbuttoned look is now a standard rule in men’s suiting – leaving the bottom button of a single-breasted jacket or waistcoat unfastened is widely considered a hallmark of proper and stylish dressing. In King Charles and Prince William’s rare joint engagement this week, Charles adopted the undone button fashion as described.

The King had become colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps 32 years ago – and on May 13 he had been succeeded by his eldest son, Prince William. The monarch said his final visit to the Army Air Corps as Colonel-in-Chief was “tinged with sadness” but joked that the regiment would be left in safe hands.

The ceremonial title would likely have been given to Prince Harry if he had not chosen to step down as a working member of the Royal Family in 2020 alongside wife, Meghan Markle.