Prince William criticised for 'pimp' look at Earthshot Prize awards

Prince William received mixed reactions when he graced Sunday's Earthshot Prize Awards in London wearing a greed suede jacket.

The Duke of Cambridge divided fans with his choice of outfit for the ceremony. He opted to wear a black turtleneck top paired with a green velvet jacket from British high street brand Reiss. The jacket is a recycled piece which he previously wore to a charity gala in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge dazzled in her Alexander McQueen dress paired with a gold belt. She first wore the outfit at a BAFTA event at the Belasco Theatre in April 2011. The couple flashed big smiles and mingled with the guests at the star-studded event and appeared to enjoy the occasion.

But a few members of the public raised their eyebrows at Prince William's velvet jacket. There were those wondered what went through his mind when he decided to wear it.

One Twitter user even likened him to a "pimp" and wrote, "He looked like a pimp and another agreed, "Is William pimping as a side gig? Cause there are no words for that green velvet jacket? Like he looked in the mirror and thought this was the look for the night?"

One more exclaimed, "Good grief, what is he wearing??" and another chimed in, "Why was #PrinceWilliam dressed like #JasperCarrot in the 1970's?"

More royal watchers criticised the 39-year-old royal's outfit with one commenting, "Kate must of been mad at Wills to let him wear that horrible outfit. I like the jacket but not with a black turtleneck."

"Was nobody brave enough to tell Prince William that a turtleneck sweater with a green velvet jacket isn't a great look?" another wrote.

However, there were those who thought the Duke of Cambridge looked dashing in the green velvet jacket and black turtleneck. Some claimed he could be the next James Bond while others thought he looked great next to Kate Middleton.

Even body language expert Darren Stanton called Prince William's recycled outfit at the Earthshot Prize awards a "power move." He said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set the theme of the ceremony and showed their commitment to the cause by choosing to wear old clothes.