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The twist on a 2025 top trend that you can only wear with permission of King Charles

It’s one of the top trends for 2025 but one version of it is for royal use only. Tartan is taking over influencer grids everywhere: it hit the haute couture catwalk while Traitors chic, led by the must have fashion of its presenter, Claudia Winkleman, is the style pick for winter. But one version of it is the ultimate must have because it’s almost impossible to get. Meet the tartan that needs written permission from The King before you can put it on.

The King Charles III tartan was created for, wait for it – yes, King Charles III. In fact, it’s one of the newest patterns on the books of the Scottish Register of Tartans and it packs all the royal punches you’d expect.

Millie Pilkington/ Royal Family

It was added to the Register of Tartans in the days before the first anniversary of The King’s accession, hitting the official records on September 4th 2023 with Charles III reaching a year of reign on September 8th 2023.

However, this plaid pattern was created on May 6th 2023, the date of the Coronation. Yes, there’s influencer and there’s influencer. Add all the ribbed socks and tutus you want to your tartan. The King got his own checks because he was being crowned.

The King Charles III tartan is also linked to another big royal influencer moment. Back in the mid 19th century, traditional Scottish dress became a high society must have after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert fell in love with Balmoral and made it their go to destination. In 1850, a Balmoral tartan was created for them and the King Charles III pattern is inspired by that original.

Victoria and Albert’s tartan is grey with red. Their great, great, great grandson has gone for greens, blues and browns but the linear arrangement on his pattern is linked to theirs. The Scottish Register of Tartans describes it as ” a central stripe motif (one broad and two narrow)” which is a ”feature of Royal tartans previously worn by His Majesty’‘. And the shades were taken from 18th century plaids held in archives which have been admired before by The King.

The pattern was designed by the Scottish Tartans Authority to recognise The King’s ”strong support in preserving the culture and traditions of Highland Dress and Scottish Tartans.’‘ Charles III approved it before it was unveiled but there’s a big caveat. This tartan is marked as ‘royal’ on the register and can only be woven ”with written permission from The Scottish Tartans Authority under instruction from the Royal Household.”

Claudia Winkleman’s Traitors chic has made tartan the must have look of winter 2025
(BBC/ Studio Lambert/ Euan Cherry)

Yes, if you want the ultimate royal tartan then King Charles III has to give his approval. Alternatively, you can put a new official photo of him on your grid – the portrait, released on Burns Night in 2025, shows His Majesty in his very own personal tartan which is, to be honest, as close as you’re going to get to this one.

The tartan trend of 2025 already had plenty of royal inspiration. The Dior cruise collection channelled Mary, Queen of Scots. Queen Claudia of the Traitors castle took notes from Princess Anne to create her own iconic look. But the ultimate royal tartan is the one being worn by King Charles. The royal style crown of 2025 may already have been claimed.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.