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When members of the royal family step out for an important engagement, they’re usually dressed impeccably. Their attire is always clean, crisp, and pressed. And their shoes are always shining and match well. However, even with plenty of staffers and aides to help curate their wardrobe some things can get overlooked and don’t get noticed until it’s too late.

That’s what happened with Prince William when he attended a speaking engagement and apparently no one noticed a problem with the future king‘s footwear before snaps of it were shared around the world.

The issue with Prince William’s shoe

Prince William and Sir David Attenborough attend a panel on environmental issues at the 2019 World Economic Forum
Prince William and Sir David Attenborough attend a panel on environmental issues at the 2019 World Economic Forum | Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images

Back in 2019, Prince William attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland where he spoke on stage with documentary maker and broadcaster David Attenborough.

The now-Prince of Wales asked Attenborough about his life’s work, the state of the natural world, and his advice for young people and world leaders on how to better care for the planet.

At one point during their discussion, William crossed his legs and those in attendance couldn’t help but notice a hole in the sole of his right shoe. Pictures from the event were shared around the globe as no one on the prince’s team saw that before he stepped out in public.

Prince William and documentary maker and broadcaster David Attenborough attend a conversation during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland
Prince William and Sir David Attenborough attend a conversation during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland | FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

Many people were left scratching their heads because a shoe would have to be really worn to have a hole that size in the sole. And it seems too obvious for someone inspecting the royal’s wardrobe to miss. Therefore, some people have theorized that it may have been a piece of black tape.

Either way, photos were shared all over the world with headlines claiming the future king had on worn-out dress shoes.

Queen Elizabeth’s stained dress and broken handbag

But it’s not just Prince William, even the late Queen Elizabeth II was photographed out on one occasion that left royal watchers puzzled about what happened to her attire.

Queen Elizabeth II attends King Constantine of Greece's 70th birthday party at Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece's residence
Queen Elizabeth II attends King Constantine of Greece’s 70th birthday party at Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece’s residence | Indigo/Getty Images

In 2010, the then-monarch attended King Constantine of Greece’s 70th birthday party. Photos released from the affair show the queen in a pale blue dress which had several stains down the side of it. In the queen’s case though, it’s unthinkable and highly unlikely that she left her residence that way as it was far too noticeable.

It was later confirmed that she did not. A member of the wait staff at the party accidentally got the mess all over the queen. While some thought the substance that caused the stains was from food, the Daily Mail reported that it was actually from “coffee spillage.”

It was quite a night for the queen. In addition to her dress being soiled, her shimmery silver handbag had a problem as well. A number of photos showed her clutching it oddly because the chain strap on it broke somehow, proving that even royalty can experience fashion issues just like the rest of us.