King Charles & Victorian Tradition For The Aga Khan

On Tuesday this week, King Charles III threw a dinner at Windsor Castle. A special event, it honored the Agha Khan V, Prince Rahim Al-Hussain as he celebrated a special anniversary. Read on to find out more about the event and the tradition behind it.

An Anniversary Dinner

The dinner probably meant a lot because February 4 marked the first anniversary of Prince Rahim after he took over as the Agha Khan. He’d have been met in a hallway called the Grand Corridor. An article by The Independent said that other “members of the Aga Khan’s family” also attended.   

Well, it was probably a lavish event, and enjoyed by all in attendance. While that doesn’t sound very exciting, the tradition behind it seems quite interesting. After all it goes back to the Victorian days. 

Charles Titled Rahim as ‘His Highness 

Clearly, King Charles felt that he should also honor his guest because last year, he gave Prince Rahim the title of “His Highness.” And that might grate on Meghan Markle’s nerves! Anyway, the dinner and that title seems important because millions of Muslim people follow Rahim, as he’s a spiritual leader.

For the occasion, King Charles wore a special outfit called the Windsor Coat. Probably if you wore one to dinner, folks would roll their eyes, but within the palace, it’s just fine to dress up. The coat, dark blue, comes with tails, a bright red collar and red cuffs on the sleeves.

Historic Jacket

The jacket reflects history because it’s been worn for special occasions for over two 200 years now. However, it was royal family ancestor King George III who first kickstarted the style back in 1779. In fact, he liked a uniform style and it was probably his version of casual wear.

Although it might seem a bit militaristic, it isn’t actually about that. Instead, it serves as a special dress code for men in the royal family. You won’t find it in a clothing store near you, as apparently it should only be worn at Windsor Castle. And then, only if the King gives the nod.

The Queen Had A Close Bond With the Family

Of course, the dinner also acknowledged the friendship of Queen Elizabeth who seemed fond of the previous Aga Khan IV, who passed away in 2025. Very wealthy, he did at least give out a lot of cash to help others in need, which seems commendable.

Perhaps he influenced Charles who uses his Charitable Fund to provide money to charities like Crisis and Abbeyfield that help homeless people obtain some sort of housing.

A Sad & Shocking Event 

Another connection between Queen Elizabeth and the last Aga Khan involved horses. Both of them were passionate about them and often spent time at the Royal Ascot. Your mom or grandfather might recall that years ago, his famous horse named Shergar, was kidnapped in Ireland, and unfortunately was injured and then shot. Probably, Queen Elizabeth felt terribly shocked.

Apart from the horse story, the Queen’s son, Charles, got along with Prince Rahim like a house on fire for some time. Notably, they’d met at the palace before and in 2023, they talked about the poor people. So, the new dinner was also about the bond they share.

Castle Tradition 

Tradition in the royal family seems very important. After all without it what would they be? Just a bunch of wealthy people with protestors throwing rotten tomatoes, more than likely.

However, sarcasm aside, the tradition is a special honor and King Charles keen to keep it going. After all, there’s been a close bond between the two sets of royals and it respects the Ismaili community.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and come back often for all your royal family news and updates.