Royal King Charles is donating Buckingham Palace’s royal curtains to kimono makers who will sell the plush garments to raise money for charity

King Charles – at first glance – does not have much in common with a 1930s Austrian nun turned governess.

But His Majesty appears to have taken inspiration from Maria from The Sound Of Music in helping to convert some old royal curtains into clothing.

As Maria – played by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film musical – crafts play clothes from a few curtains for the seven Von Trapp children in her care, the king gave the green light to convert curtains from the royal family’s private rooms into elegant kimonos .

The fabric – in Delft blue floral, vintage pink and teal and damask-burnt orange designs – previously hung in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle during the reign of Elizabeth II, but was reused by students at the King’s at the King’s suggestion Foundation.

Jacqueline Farrell, education director at the foundation, agreed that the project was a “modern Sound of Music.”

The fabric – in Delft blue floral, vintage pink and teal and damask orange designs – previously hung in Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle during the reign of Elizabeth II

“We hope this project will demonstrate what can be done with vintage materials in terms of repurposing and upcycling,” she said. “Maybe other people will think about using curtains in a new way.”

A spokesperson for the charity, recently renamed The Prince’s Foundation, said: ‘It was very much the King’s idea to use the curtains. He discovered the material and said, ‘Right, this can certainly be put to good use.’ ‘

The kimonos are now being sold to raise money for the charity, which aims, among other things, to promote traditional crafts. An online auction opens today via the foundation’s website and runs until Friday evening.