Inexpensive, functional and easy-to-wear, there’s nothing much regal about the humble espadrille. But if millions find the braided sandals impossible to ignore in the holiday season, the same applies to the royals – who seem to choose even for formal occasions (and when the sun is hiding).
Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh stepped out in her role as Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers on Tuesday – in espadrilles, proving that the summer months are here. The Duchess teamed her crimson gown with shoes from Penelope Chilvers. She is pictured with the Theatre Support Battalion in Aldershot.
For a visit to the Royal Norfolk County Show in June 2019, Sophie sported a £990 ($1.2K) floral blue midi skirt from Erdem and a cream silk blouse. And to complete the outfit, there was, of course, a pair of stylish £90 ($116) espadrilles from Penelope Chilvers that tied around the ankle.
Over the years, the Princess of Wales, 41, has frequently been spotted in her trusty Castaner ‘Carina’ Espadrilles. Handmade in Spain from velvety suede, Castaner’s wedge was launched in the early 70s. Kate looked radiant in a silk ME+EM shirt dress as she turned up at the Chelsea Flower Show in May. She paired the dress with her Castaner ‘Carina’ wedges.
The princess was also spotted in her ‘Carina’ tan wedge Espadrilles when attending a workshop run by the Royal Photographic Society at Warren Park back in 2019.
She wore the Espadrilles once again at the opening of her ‘Back to Nature’ garden at another Royal Horticultural Society garden show in the summer of 2019.
Meghan Markle, 41, repeatedly pulls out her beloved Castañer espadrilles during royal engagements. They were a natural choice for her tour of South Africa in September 2019, particularly when styled with her vibrant dresses. Meghan matched a stunning blue shirt dress by Veronica Beard with Castaner espadrille wedges during a visit to Cape Town.
During the Fiji leg of the tour of Australia in October 2018, the Duchess of Sussex wore a red silk dress by Figue with a blue floral print and paired it with £80 ($100) Castaner canvas wedge espadrilles. Meghan’s wedges are similar to Kate’s but are in black canvas rather than suede and feature wider ribbon ties.
The late Princess of Wales matched a pair of yellow denim dungarees with bright pink heeled Espadrilles to a polo match with Prince Charles in 1981, just two weeks before the couple’s marriage.
Espadrilles are a Spanish shoe, so it comes as no surprise that Queen Letizia, 50, has one of the most impressive collections among royal women. Letizia styled a beige pair with a white A-line dress during a trip to Cuba in November 2019.
The following year, she chose a floral Adolfo Domínguez midi dress and Macarena Alba6 suede Espadrilles for a visit to Benidorm.
Like her mother, Princess Sofia of Spain is a fan of the classic Spanish shoe. Queen Letizia and her daughters styled them with short summer dressed and minimal jewellery on a trip to Majorca last year.
British-born Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece wore a pair of black and white Espadrille flats during the Bicentenary Celebrations of The Royal Yacht Squadron in June 2015 in Cowes.
Princess Eugenie attended one of the Queen’s annual garden parties wearing an orchid-inspired fascinator and espadrilles back in 2013. They are an essential piece to have in your shoe collection as they won’t go out of fashion.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, 52, is certainly no stranger to styling Espadrilles to create the most luxurious looking ensemble. During a visit to the Dar waste company in June 2020, Queen Maxima wore an all-white ensemble, topping off the look with an elegant scarf and her timeless Espadrilles.
And a year later, the mother-of-three looked typically glamorous in the recycled one-piece as she visited the Special Olympics National Games. Known for her love of bright color combinations, she wore a white jumpsuit with a flower print in hues of magenta, red and green. Making sure her accessories were matching her ruby theme, she added some large red earrings and a pair of wedge heels in a similar hue.
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands has followed in her mother’s stylish footsteps as she too has added the classic shoe to her wardrobe. For a concert in honour of Queen Maxima’s 50th birthday in May 2021, Alexia stole the show in a beautiful turquoise crepe dress. She was donning heeled black sandals and a greens shawl of the same hue as her dress. Her clutch bag was black, to match her shoes, and she was wearing beige and white bracelets and a turquoise ring.
Lady Amelia Windsor stood out from the crowd at the royal wedding of her sister, Lady Gabriella Windsor, in May 2019 as she opted for a daisy-print Gul Hurgel dress along with her white Espadrille wedges. While many would consider the pairing to be a rather unconventional choice for a wedding, Lady Amelia shows just how versatile Espadrille’s can be when styled correctly.
The royal mother-of-two, who is the daughter of the King and Queen, was beaming with joy as she joined her kids Princess Estelle, 11, and Prince Oscar, seven, for an event to mark her 46th birthday at Solliden Palace in Borgholm. Crown Princess Victoria looked effortlessly elegant in a cream off-the-shoulder gown, which was perfectly matched with her white Espadrille wedges.
Known for her classic and timeless style, Pippa Middleton, 39, has long been a fan of Espadrilles and has styled her black lace-up pair with everything from cotton dresses to casual denim. Pippa’s ‘Low Valencia Espadrilles’, made from lightweight cotton and canvas, are the ideal type of shoe to wear in the warmer months. Kicking off her honeymoon with her husband James Matthews back in June of 2017, Pippa glowed in a £383 ($500) pale blue poplin shirt dress by Maje and her favourite Castaner espadrille wedges. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12324355/The-skies-grey-summer-espadrilles-royal-women-wearing-them.html?ito=msngallery
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