Eyewear Worn by the Royal Family and Showbiz Royalty
It is estimated some 300 million people globally will tune in to watch the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6th of May. With numerous events and gatherings around the country scheduled to mark the historic occasion, we thought it would be an opportunity to look at what eyewear the Royals favour.
Prince William wearing LGR sunglasses
London-based opticians Roger Pope and Partners, situated in New Cavendish Street, was given the Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen in 2006. The late Queen Elizabeth was known for wearing Silhouette frames, which we stock here in our Manor Walk practice. Silhouette is a classic, iconic brand of eyewear from Austria founded in 1964 by husband-and-wife Arnold and Anneliese Schmied.
Back in the day, the company was known for its very futuristic collections. Silhouette made two very striking frames for singer Elton John: one in the shape of a bicycle and a white model Futura 570 frame that the singer wore when dressed as a bumble bee in the 70s. However, during the 90s, Silhouette moved away from large, bold eyewear to concentrate on capturing the rimless market, which they have had with great success.
Silhouette is known for quality, lightweight, durable frames. The minimalist rimless systems feature distinctive details, which set them apart from other rimless collections. The late Queen and other members of the Royal Family wear spectacles. Queen Elizabeth wore photochromic lenses that changed colour in the sun to help protect her eyes from the UV rays emitted by the sun. Queen Elizabeth II had cataract surgery in 2018 and would need to wear sunglasses to protect her eyes from harmful sunlight.
There was a time when it wasn’t common for the Royal Family to wear spectacles. Previously, many dignitaries would have historically used monocles or lorgnettes, which were at one time considered much more refined than regular spectacles. But times have changed a lot since these fashion statements. Since the late 50s, more members of the Royal Family regularly wear spectacles in public and when attending events.
Princess Margaret, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, would often wear spectacles, especially sunglasses. Princess Anne often sports a pair of sports glasses whilst out and about. The wrap feature of sports eyewear protects not only from the sun but also provides protection from wind and debris. It’s the perfect type of eyewear for a keen horsewoman like Princess Anne.
These days the younger generation of the Royal Family is rarely seen at public events without donning a pair of sunglasses. Prince William is regularly photographed wearing spectacles whilst driving and on family outings. But interestingly, he revealed in an interview with Woman and Home Magazine in 2020 that he often removes them when at official engagements, as he says it helps with his anxiety when delivering a speech as he can’t decipher people’s faces.
Lewis Hamilton wearing LGR Dahlak
However, he does like to wear a stylish pair of sunnies. One that he seems to favour is model Suez by Italian company L.G.R. Hand made in Italy with its history firmly rooted in Eritrea, Africa, it’s a fabulous, understated collection, which is chosen not only by crowned Royalty but other celebrities too. Sporting royalties such as Lewis Hamilton wears both Dakhla Skin and Dahlak. The queen of tennis, Maria Sharapova wears the Dakhla. Many famous actors, personalities and showbiz people also enjoy wearing L.G.R. eyewear. L.G.R appears to be the go-to brand for film and television production companies. Their frames have appeared on the Netflix shows Emily in Paris and The Sandman. And on the big screen, showbiz Royalty Tom Cruise has worn L.G.R frames in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Visit our online store to shop our L.G.R eyewear collections.
Maria Sharapova wears the Dakhla
We stock a wide selection of L.G.R and Silhouette models at Respectacle Company. If you would like to try on some frames, please pop into our Manor Walk store in Market Harborough and have a look. We won’t mind if you want to get into character and unleash your inner Mission: Impossible protagonist Ethan Hunt. We are always very accommodating. Although, we can’t say the same for The Sandman’s Corinthian character!
The practice is open every day except Tuesday and Sunday. Our opening times are 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 4 pm on Saturdays. If you have any questions about our Silhouette and L.G.R collections, please call 01858 433577 and speak to one of our friendly team.
Further reading:
Glasses Wearing Celebrities Like What We Like
