Despite a cabinet reshuffle, a major economic crisis and diplomatic emergencies on all sides, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, does not forget respect for etiquette. On Sunday, November 12, accompanied by his wife, Akshata Murty, he left his home to welcome his guests of the day with great fanfare. In this case, the Indian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and his partner, Kyoko.
Gathered on the doorstep of the Prime Minister’s residence, at 10 Downing Street, the small troupe was able to practice namaste. This typical greeting from India and Nepal is traditionally always done with palms together, but can take three different forms. By raising the hands above the head, we salute the deities. By wearing them at face height, we greet older people and spiritual guides. At chest level, a general mark of respect is expressed. Here ? No deity or guru on the horizon.
For the occasion, Akshata Murty, of Indian nationality, and Kyoko Jaishankar, of Japanese origin, both took out their most beautiful sari. Traditional clothing, which appeared in India in 100 BC. BC, it is characterized by being made up of a single piece of fabric, approximately 1.20 meters wide and 5 to 6 meters long, wrapping around the body to cover it elegantly. Depending on the region, there are around a hundred ways to tie the sari. Broken record: for the tie, according to scientific studies on the subject, only eighty-five knots are possible.
Rishi Sunak hadn’t tried so hard. That day, he sported one of the great totems of masculine inelegance. What are we talking about ? Obviously, from this deadly ensemble consisting of a black suit that is too small, a black tie that is too narrow and a white shirt that is too fitted. If we had to summarize in a few words, we would be tempted to say that costume is to traditional English tailoring what the advertising pin is to fine jewelry: not much.
Finally, did you know? The “10” on the door of 10 Downing Street is not really a 10, but the number 1 followed by the letter O. Indeed, employees of the Ministry of Works, in charge of the country’s infrastructure, and therefore the door of the Prime Minister’s residence, were out of zero when they had to number the famous black door… Well, it’s useless, but at least now you know.