Queen Elizabeth, 93, has now stepped down from undertaking royal visits aboard on behalf of the Royal Family. The Monarch leaves such key duties to her children and grandchildren to carry out. Consequently, Prince Charles, 71, and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 72, are in New Zealand at the moment on a royal tour.
Hardman explained: “The Queen is very conscious of the need for her tour wardrobe to hang well.
“Angela Kelly [senior dresser to the Queen] is adept at finding fabrics and designs that do not show creases.
“On those occasions when her clothes have been caught in a downpour, she has preferred to dry out standing up, knowing that sitting down will increase the chance of creasing.
“[Designer] Stewart Pavin has said that he learned an important tip from his predecessors.
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“He buys small weight from the curtain department at Peter Jones and sews them into the royal hemlines, not only to maintain the shape of the Queen’s clothes but to prevent what would now be called a ‘wardrobe malfunction.’”
Despite this trick, the New Zealand debacle wasn’t the only time the royal skirts went northwards.
“In 1991 exactly the same things happen as the Queen arrived in Namibia,” wrote Hardman.
“Her skirt was caught in a gust as she descended from her plane.
“The wind has been an occupational hazard for most of her reign. However, the lead weights have served her well.”
So what will Prince Charles and Camilla be up to during their New Zealand trip?
So far they have visited the Wesley Community Centre in Auckland, where Charles was given a tour of the several workshops and activities available to locals.
Charles and Camilla will meet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern while in Auckland, but they are set to visit also other areas of New Zealand in the next few days.
From Auckland, Charles and Camilla will travel to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds to receive an official welcome and to honour the relationship between The Crown and the Māori people.
This is Charles and Camilla’s third joint visit to New Zealand, with their last visit taking place in 2015.
While there, the couple have also attended a Remembrance service for World War One soldiers including recognising the 150 Niueans who lost their lives with the 3rd Māori Contingent.
The Duchess of Cornwall had been at home due to ill health but managed to join Charles on his 71st birthday during his trip to India last week.
