Meet the perfect royal wedding guest
Lady Amelia Windsor talks with Bethan Holt of her plans to conquer the fashion industry – and her love of charity shops
If the marriage of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle next weekend is set to be the most socially aware and glamorous royal wedding ever, then Lady Amelia Windsor will be the perfect guest. Two years ago, Lady Amelia appeared on the cover of Tatler with a strapline, which declared her to be “the most beautiful member of the Royal family”. But within a few minutes of chatting with the 22-year-old granddaughter of the Duke of Kent, it becomes apparent that her doe-eyed prettiness and whirlwind life combining studying, modelling and It-girling, comes with a serious sense of responsibility and purpose.
As 37th in line to the throne, Lady Amelia enjoys the best of both the royal and real life worlds.
She is a regular at the Queen’s family gatherings, first coming to the world’s attention as a new English rose when she attended the service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in April 2016, wearing a prim pleated black-andwhite dress by Chanel. Last Christmas, she went with her parents to the annual Christmas lunch.
It’s not hard to imagine Meghan finding a good friend in her, chatting sustainable style and yoga – subjects which both women are passionate about. Amelia – Mel to her friends – is the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, a former diplomat and chancellor of the University of Bolton, and Sylvana Tomaselli, a lecturer in history at St John’s College Cambridge.
When George and Sylvana married, he was forced to renounce his place in the line of succession because his wife-to-be was a divorced Roman Catholic, although the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act restored his place.
Amelia’s older siblings, Edward, Lord Downpatrick and Lady Marina, have both renounced their places by confirming themselves as Roman Catholics. As her third cousin, Prince Harry, knows, a mild (or not so mild in some cases) controversy is a rite of passage for any young royal. After several photos of her smoking and dancing the night away appeared on social media, Lady Amelia is now reading French and Italian at Edinburgh University – but it’s all part of her bigger plan to conquer the fashion industry.
She has spent the past year living first in Paris, and now in Rome, for her year abroad as part of her course and secured herself some plum assignments along the way. Her year began working in the atelier of “King of Cling” designer Azzedine Alaïa, who passed away suddenly in November. “I felt incredibly honoured to have met him and be in his presence for a short but amazing amount of time,” Amelia remembers.
Now, she’s interning at jewellery house Bulgari which she calls the “ultimate Italian experience”. Of course, some doors open more easily when you are a buzzed-about young socialite with “Lady” and “Windsor” in your name.
Many fashion labels dream of the kind of endorsement which comes from royal connections. Meghan and the Duchess of Cambridge could never be seen to be promoting particular names or receiving freebies and the Queen was 92 before she attended her first fashion show this February, but there’s no doubt that the young royals quickly become fashion icons and set trends.
For Amelia, it was Lady Helen Taylor, her aunt, who she looked up to as a child and helped instil a love of fashion. “My aunt has always been a big style muse for me, I always thought she dressed really well and growing up with her was really fun,” she remembers. Lady Helen worked as an ambassador and muse to Giorgio Armani for 17 years.
Besides her chic aunt, Amelia’s other style influences are resolutely down-to-earth. Like any millennial, she is addicted to Instagram – “I go on too much, I need to control myself ” – and often finds that inspiration strikes while “sitting on the bus and just seeing someone opposite you”.
She reels off designer labels like Burberry, Alexander McQueen and JW Anderson as being among her favourites, but also loves nothing more than rummaging for a bargain. “I love charity shops. You feel less guilty, you can find some incredible pieces. In Edinburgh, they’ve got the most insane charity shops ever.”
Her favourite find was a pair of bright orange corduroy flares, which epitomised her personal style mantra: “don’t dress for anyone else, dress so that you can stare at your own reflection in shop windows walking down the street”.
Amelia’s profile has soared thanks to modelling jobs which have included the aforementioned Tatler cover, appearances on the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk and a video with accessories designer Penelope Chilvers, as well as lots of front row appearances at Valentino, Miu Miu, Dior, Bottega Veneta and more. But her real ambition
is to work in fashion marketing and content, perhaps with a focus on eco-conscious style. “We’re all aware of the huge plastic crisis and the effect it’s having on our planet,” she says with genuine concern. “Fashion has a key role in that, but also there are ways we can deal with it.
“Stella McCartney is someone to look up to in that sense, she makes the bigger point in her collection that you can be sustainable and stylish. That should be something that everyone really looks for when they shop now.”
Amelia is practising what she preaches. Take the collaboration which she is launching this week with Chilvers. They have worked on tracker-soled boots, studded belts and clomping clogs in vivid fuchsia cow prints, which are ideal for making a statement on Instagram –
‘Dress so that you can stare at your own reflection in shop windows’
Amelia recommends wearing the belt high-waisted with a pair of flares. Twenty per cent of proceeds from the collection will be donated to the charity War Child.
“The work they do is really crucial because conflict is one of the biggest horrors that happens in the world,” Amelia says. “We need to ensure there’s the right support to these poor innocent children who have no choice in the matter, after and during the war.”
The young generation of royals are opting to campaign on topics which were once taboo, like mental health. It is also something that Meghan, once part of the family, is likely to lead on. And Lady Amelia will no doubt be one of the best-dressed guests next Saturday. “I can be quite last minute because I’m all over the place,” she says of her approach to getting ready for a big do. “It’s a learning experience with each thing you go to.”