King Charles Wears Cheeky Tie in Belfast—and It Has a Hidden Meaning

The tie features a pale blue background with a repeating pattern of zebras. The accessory is made by Country Club U.K., and it usually retails for £40 (about $52) but it’s currently on sale for £29 (about $37). It was created by silk art specialists who were inspired by artwork from the 17th-century. 

The official website says, “It derives from a painting by Ustad Mansur, 17th-century artist, naturalist and leading Mughal Court painter, of a zebra presented to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627) by Mir Ja’far, who had acquired it from Turks travelling from Ethiopia. Nobody in India having seen a zebra before, it was described on the painting by Jahangir himself as a ‘mule.’”

The description continued, “The zebra was shown to Jahangir at the Persian New Year festival of Nowruz in 1621, and when he was certain it wasn’t a mule, or a horse which somebody had painted stripes upon, he offered it as a gift to Shah Abbas of Iran, with whom he often exchanged exotics.”

If the tie looks familiar, that’s probably because he has worn it on multiple occasions. Back in May 2024, King Charles donned the tie at the Epsom Downs Races and paired it with a light gray suit.

Here’s hoping we see more of His Majesty’s cheeky side at future events.

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