The Royal Umbrella, Hat & Glove: Fulton, Dents & Lock & Co

The British weather has given the nation a genius for accessories. Faced with rain, wind and cold for much of the year, Britain learned to make the umbrella, the glove and the hat not merely useful but beautiful, and the royal family has long favoured the very best of them. The royal umbrella, hat and glove are small things with grand pedigrees, and three houses in particular have dressed the Crown against the elements.

Fulton shelters it, Dents warms its hands, and Lock & Co crowns its head. Each holds, or has held, a place in royal life, and each makes the kind of properly British accessory that lasts for years and only looks better for it.

Here are the three great houses behind the royal finishing touches, and how to add a little of their heritage to your own wardrobe.

Fulton: the royal umbrella

No umbrella is more royal than a Fulton. Founded in 1956 by the inventor and engineer Arnold Fulton in a small Whitechapel workshop, the firm became the umbrella of choice for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who famously owned one to match almost every outfit, clear-domed, with a trim in the exact colour of her coat.

Fulton holds a royal warrant, awarded in 2008, and its umbrellas remain a fixture of royal engagements to this day; Queen Camilla and other members of the family continue to use them. It is a lovely example of a practical British invention becoming a royal signature, proof that the humblest object, done superbly, can earn a place at the palace. Browse the range at Fulton Umbrellas on Amazon.

The birdcage umbrella

The Fulton style beloved of the royals is the Birdcage, the deep, dome-shaped umbrella with a transparent PVC canopy that curves down around the head and shoulders. It first caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in the late 1980s, who saw at once that its clear dome offered protection without hiding the wearer from the crowds.

That is the genius of it for a working royal: it keeps the rain off while keeping the face visible, so the public can still see and be seen. Trimmed in a colour to match the outfit, it becomes an accessory as much as a shield, the reason the late Queen’s clear umbrellas became such a recognisable part of her rainy-day look, and why the family carries them still.

Dents: gloves fit for a coronation

For gloves, the royal name is Dents, one of the oldest glovemakers in the world, crafting fine leather gloves since the reign of King George III in the 1770s. Its royal credentials could hardly be grander: Dents made the ceremonial Coronation Glove for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, a single white kid-leather gauntlet, embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework with a gold “E II R” and a crown.

The connection reached a beautiful full circle in 2023, when King Charles III chose, for his own coronation, to wear the very glove Dents had made for his grandfather King George VI, a piece of living history, reused in the name of continuity and sustainability. Dents was awarded a royal warrant in 2016 and continues to supply the King. Explore its gloves at Dents Gloves on Amazon.

The art of the glove

Beyond the ceremonial, a good pair of leather gloves is one of the most useful and elegant accessories a person can own, and Britain, thanks to houses like Dents, makes some of the finest. The mark of quality is in the leather (soft, supple lambskin or peccary), the lining (silk or cashmere for warmth) and the fit, which should be close and hand-following.

Buy a classic pair in black, brown or tan, cared for and re-worn each winter, and they will last for many years, softening beautifully with age. It is the small, quiet luxury of slipping on a proper leather glove on a cold morning, a little piece of British craft in the everyday.

Lock & Co: the hat that tops it off

The final flourish is the hat, and for that the royal name is Lock & Co, the St James’s Street hatter that has been covering distinguished heads since 1676, the oldest hat shop in the world. It has made hats for monarchs, prime ministers and admirals (including, famously, Lord Nelson), and holds royal warrants of long standing.

From the flat cap for the country to the formal hat for Ascot, Lock & Co is where royal London goes to be crowned for every occasion. We tell its full three-and-a-half-century story in our profile of Lock & Co Hatters, the perfect finishing touch to the British accessory wardrobe.

Completing the British accessory wardrobe

Together, Fulton, Dents and Lock & Co make up a complete kit for the British elements: the umbrella overhead, the gloves on the hands, the hat on the head, all built to last and all carrying real royal heritage. It is a wardrobe of small, well-made things that quietly announce good taste.

The lesson, as ever with royal style, is to buy the best you can and keep it. A properly made umbrella, a pair of good leather gloves and a classic hat will outlast a dozen cheap versions and only grow more characterful with use. Our guide to the British countryside wardrobe covers the clothes to wear beneath them.

Why these accessories endure

These houses endure because they solved a British problem beautifully: how to face the weather with dignity. Fulton’s clear dome, Dents’ supple leather and Lock & Co’s peerless hats are all answers to the same question, refined over decades or centuries into objects of real craft.

That is their enduring appeal: practical things made so well they become a pleasure to own. Add one to your wardrobe and you buy into a tradition that stretches, in Lock & Co’s case, back to the seventeenth century. Browse more of our Royal Style & Fashion stories to keep building a wardrobe of heritage and quality.

Frequently asked questions

What umbrella does the royal family use?

The royal family favours Fulton umbrellas, particularly the clear-domed Birdcage style. Fulton holds a royal warrant awarded in 2008; the late Queen Elizabeth II owned Birdcage umbrellas trimmed to match her outfits, and Queen Camilla and others still use them.

What is a Fulton birdcage umbrella?

The Birdcage is Fulton’s signature dome-shaped umbrella with a transparent PVC canopy that curves down around the head and shoulders. It keeps off the rain while leaving the wearer’s face visible, ideal for working royals, and a favourite since the Queen Mother’s day.

Who makes the royal coronation gloves?

Dents, one of the world’s oldest glovemakers, made the ceremonial Coronation Glove for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. At his 2023 coronation, King Charles III wore the glove Dents had made for his grandfather George VI. Dents holds a royal warrant awarded in 2016.

How old is Dents gloves?

Dents has been making fine leather gloves since the reign of King George III, dating back to the 1770s, around 250 years. It is one of the oldest and most respected glovemakers in the world and holds a royal warrant.

What hatter do the royals use?

Lock & Co of St James’s Street, founded in 1676 and the oldest hat shop in the world, has long made hats for royalty and holds royal warrants. It supplies everything from country flat caps to formal occasion hats.

Are British-made accessories worth the money?

Yes. A well-made British umbrella, pair of leather gloves or classic hat from a heritage house lasts for years, often decades, and ages beautifully, working out far cheaper over time than repeatedly replacing cheap versions.

Founding dates and royal warrants are drawn from the makers’ own histories and the Royal Warrant Holders Association; warrant status can change, so for the definitive current list see royalwarrant.org.