But in all seriousness, what the heck is going on?
Because it’s accurate, the expression “He was so in love with them that he wore holes right through them, hasn’t he?” has taken on a life of its own. Due to the extensive amount of use that it has had, the sole of the prince’s shoe has a significant role in it.
The duchess can’t have known that he planned to wear old shoes to their mutual friend’s wedding since she would have insisted that he wear brand new shoes instead. It is easy to understand why he would want to dress in something that is more comfortable now that he is aware that the soles of his feet have the potential to be featured in tabloids.