Kashket & Partners is the thread that connects Britain’s royal affairs. The Tottenham-based tailor’s shop has created military uniforms for all manner of historic ceremonies and will do so again for King Charles III’s upcoming coronation.
More than 6,000 British military personnel will take part in the event on May 6 in what will be the largest ceremonial deployment of U.K. armed forces in seven decades. Kashket is responsible for creating every single uniform for the King’s big day and will prepare some 8,000 separate pieces of clothing, as reported by The Evening Standard. The new “CR III” cipher, which signifies the reign of King Charles, will also need to be carefully sewn onto the garments.
Although it is a mammoth undertaking, the family-run outfit has had plenty of practice. The team of more than 40 tailors has made ceremonial wear for blue bloods the world over, including eight kings, as well as the British royal family. It created the regal wedding outfits for both Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as 2,000 uniforms that appeared at the respective ceremonies. It is responsible for the famous red tunics of the Buckingham Palace King’s Guards and the iconic coats of the Yeomen Warders, a.k.a. the Beefeaters, at the Tower of London. The shop also holds a contract to provide uniforms for the armed forces throughout the year.
“Almost every piece of military uniform you see is made by us,” fourth-generation family member Nathan Kashket told The Evening Standard. “But this is a new level.”
The 25-year-old, who now runs the firm, says plans for the new monarch’s coronation have actually been in motion for almost nine years. “When whispers started last year that the Coronation would be in May time, we knew we were in for a very busy Christmas,” he told the newspaper. “It has been frantic.”
Kashket says in normal circumstances, it takes six to eight weeks to create a uniform, but the team can churn them out in just two days for such momentous events. He added that the project was the biggest honor of his career: “It is a huge responsibility but I could not be more proud.”
If you’d like to learn more about the Kashkets, the family will be the focus of the Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King documentary debuting on the BBC on May 3.
