After the arrival of the presidential couple in sneakers in London the day before the funeral of Elizabeth II - much commented on in the British press -, place for more formal details.
Monday, September 19, Brigitte Macron entered Westminster Abbey on the arm of her husband, Emmanuel Macron, in a black suit (length of the skirt below the knee), wearing a black veil.
Inherited from a long monarchical tradition, the veil is one of the essentials of the funeral attire of female members of the royal family during the burial of a sovereign.
Protocol, however, from which Queen Elizabeth II was released in 2021, during the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
The latter was not king but prince consort.
Celebrities from around the world attend the funeral of Elizabeth II
In images, in pictures
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See the slideshow35 photos
Read alsoBrigitte and Emmanuel Macron in sneakers at Westminster?
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The presidential couple go to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
(London, September 19, 2022.) Abaca
Jill Biden's headband
If the mourning veil is a key piece of royal dress etiquette - in the 19th century, it could go down to the shoulders, or even to the waist, as we could observe during the funeral of George VI in 1952 -, it is not mandatory for the other guests present at the funeral.
The latter are nevertheless subject to wearing a hat or a headband, an accessory that First Lady Jill Biden chose to wear to attend the event.
Beyond the symbol, wearing the veil has a practical aspect: it offers privacy to the wearer, more discretion to express their pain.
Recently, it has given way to a more modern and shorter form, most often in tulle, as can be seen on Kate Middleton.
