Queen Elizabeth’s Best Outfits: Her Most Iconic Looks of All Time
From colorful frocks to ornate ballgowns, here’s a look back at Queen Elizabeth’s most memorable fashion moments over the years
Over her 70-year rule, Queen Elizabeth II gained the title of Britain’s longest reigning monarch and had an undeniable worldwide influence. Her death on Sept. 8, 2022, may have marked the end of an era, but her legacy will span many lifetimes.
As is customary within the royal family, the Queen’s fashion choices were often her way of communicating with the public and fellow diplomats. The monarch’s longtime personal dresser and close assistant, Angela Kelly, explained why the Queen often opted for bold color schemes in her 2019 memoir, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe.
Her colorful frocks and matching hats became staples of the Queen’s fashion, but in her early years of reign, she also experimented with daring silhouettes and — on rare occasions — even a pair of trousers here and there.
From her demure style as a young princess to the ornate ballgowns and velvet capes she wore as a monarch, keep reading for a look back at some of Queen Elizabeth’s most iconic fashion moments.
Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle in England in June 1940
The young royal perched by a window in Windsor Castle in this portrait from 1940 when she was just 14 years old. She wore a patterned dress with a ruffled collar, her hair in a cropped style.
Queen Elizabeth poses for a portrait in 1943
Years before her reign as Queen would begin, Her Majesty, then Princess Elizabeth, was a member of the Girl Scouts. Here, she’s pictured wearing her official uniform.
Queen Elizabeth on her wedding day in London in November 1947
Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, who inspired Botticelli’s famous painting Primavera. He evoked the coming of spring by adorning the gown with wheat and flowers in gold and silver thread. The intricate ivory silk dress also featured a 15-foot train embroidered in pearl, crystal and appliqué duchess satin. Her Majesty paired the gown with the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara — the same one her granddaughter Princess Beatrice would later wear on her own wedding day.
Queen Elizabeth in Malta in November 1949
Queen Elizabeth, then still a Princess, is pictured with her husband, Prince Philip, in Malta, where he was stationed with the Royal Navy. The monarch wore a gray suit and pearl necklace.
Queen Elizabeth at a royal viewing of Because You’re Mine in London in October 1952
Early on in her reign, the Queen made waves when she wore a black-and-white blazer-style dress at a royal viewing of the musical comedy Because You’re Mine at the Empire Theatre in London. Magazines and newspapers quickly printed photos of Her Majesty in the Norman Hartnell gown, prompting manufacturers to produce replicas of the dress.
Queen Elizabeth on her coronation day in London in January 1953
For her coronation day, the Queen commissioned designer Norman Hartnell to create her memorable gown. The final design represented all of the territories over which the Queen would now reign, resulting in an intricate palette of greens, pinks and yellows consisting of silk threads, pearls, diamonds, amethysts, crystals and sequins. The entire process took nine weeks, six embroiderers and 3,000 hours to complete.
Queen Elizabeth in Australia in February 1954
Queen Elizabeth was the first monarch to pay an official visit to Australia in 1954 when she was 27 years old. While in Melbourne, she wore a stunning emerald green evening gown paired with a double-strand pearl necklace and white cap.
Queen Elizabeth in France in April 1957
During an official visit to France, the Queen attended a gala performance at the Paris Opera House wearing a gown by Norman Hartnell. According to British Vogue, the designer is said to have created the dress as a nod to France, with national flowers and bees, the emblem of Napoleon, embroidered on the skirt. The monarch also wore the Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara and Delhi Durbar necklace.
Queen Elizabeth with President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy in England in June 1961
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