Prince Harry: Style icon or fashion disaster?

One of the ways modern-day royals elevate themselves above the common celebrity is with a dose of pomp and pageantry. Castles and horse-drawn carriages work a treat but nothing says imperial mystique quite like ceremonial garb. For Britain's Prince Harry, a closet full of these costumes has a valuable added benefit: it gives him the veneer of someone far more stylish than he really is.

From the royal wedding to the Diamond Jubilee, the past few years have provided plenty of opportunities for regal finery, and as an elite member of the British Armed Forces, Prince Harry was often resplendent in lavish military uniforms festooned with medals, brocade and epaulettes. Arguably, he cut a dashing figure, BBC Culture published.

But the praise heaped upon him then and since has been disproportionate and sometimes histrionic. Style arbiters at Britain's GQ catapulted him to number five on the magazine's 2011 "50 Best-Dressed Men in Britain" list - meaning his debut on the list ranked him above the likes of Jude Law and Mark Ronson.

America's Vanity Fair magazine has even included him on its International Best-Dressed List in a photo feature of the prince wearing a host of uniforms under the tagline, "wolf whistle". As well as showing Harry in his ceremonial military gear and army combat fatigues, the photo series presented the prince at a derby in a top hat and tails, wearing black-tie at a charity gala, in athletic kit for polo and other sports events, and dressed in two relaxed day looks for official appearances. Only one of the dozen outfits could be considered "off-duty", a blue suit he wore for a film premiere.

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