When it comes to royal fashion icons, no one does it as well as the Queen. Throughout the years there have been many fashion icons in the royal family, but everyone knows that Queen Elizabeth II is the G.O.A.T and rocks every event with her unique fashion sense.
Queen Elizabeth II is not officially the longest-serving monarch and is about to celebrate, her deserved, Platinum Jubilee this June. She has been in the public eye for 96 years, probably a first for any human, and has captured everyone’s hearts from infancy.
Being the HRH comes along with many work obligations, most of them simply making appearances at public events and being the Queen, it is no surprise that everyone was eager to see what outfit she would rock on every occasion. The HRH has had a lot of practice in the style department, and even as a child, she was all about smock dresses and sensible pearl necklaces which is a birthday tradition that her father, King George VI, carried on Queen Victoria’s tradition of gifting his daughters a pearl a year for their birthdays until they had a full set by their 18th birthday.
A few years later she married the love of her life, in one of the most iconic royal wedding dresses of all time, using materials she rationed during the war. In the 1950s she became one of the first, “trendsetters” in history with her impeccable full-skirted dresses and matching hats. After her coronation in 1953, there was no stopping her, with stunning ball gowns, exquisite outfits, and of course her signature hats.
Over the years, she has become a fashion icon and is known for wearing bright, block colours, pearl necklaces, pristine white gloves, headscarves, and plaid skirts. With her unique style, Queen Elizabeth II has even been the inspiration for an entire Dolce & Gabbana collection.
The Queen’s style has evolved throughout the years since she was crowned. From the smart dress coats she wore as a child to the statement turban-style hats of the 60s, she mixed things up but always remained true to her regal heritage.
Here is the ultimate fashion lookback of the one and only Queen Elizabeth II.
1946: Queen-to-be
Princess Elizabeth began her fashion journey when she was a princess, as seen in the image, the young Queen-to-be was chatting with her father, King George VI on 8th July 1946, while wearing a stunning yet casual bow-waisted dress and a beautiful string of pearls necklace, which will soon be her signature look.
1947: The wedding day
The glamorous gown she wore for her wedding to Prince Philip on November 20, 1947, was filled with meaning. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the Norman Hartnell masterpiece, which featured a 15-foot train with a breathtaking star pattern inspired by Botticelli’s “Primavera” Renaissance painting, was symbolic of a period of growth and rebirth for England following World War II.
It also featured 10,000 seed pearls, crystals, and ivory silk fabric that the then-princess reportedly collected coupons to pay for, as Britain was still subject to rationing at the time. For something borrowed, she had the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, which once belonged to her grandmother.
1951: The royal chores.
Queen Elizabeth the then-princess, went for top style honours while visiting Ottawa, Canada, in 1951 in this chic pink gown, which featured a lace floral pattern throughout. She set off the look with the Nizam of Hyderabad tiara and the Greville ruby and diamond necklace.
1953: Coronation day
Another huge fashion milestone in Queen Elizabeth’s life was her coronation gown which was chosen out of nine couture gowns made by the genius Norman Hartnell, especially for this occasion. It was simply a masterpiece that took about a year to complete. It featured floral emblems of both the UK and other states within the Commonwealth of Nations—including the English Tudor rose, a Welsh leek, a Scottish thistle, an Irish shamrock, a Canadian maple leaf, an Australian wattle flower, and the fern of New Zealand.
The breath-taking gown was made of silk and the dress reportedly required the expertise of no less than six embroiderers. The queen wore it again multiple times, including to several speeches to the Parliaments in 1954 and another in Canada in 1957., a wise choice as such a stunning gown needs to be worn on multiple occasions.
1954: Australia Trip
The newly crowned monarch was radiant while arriving in Australia in 1954, sporting this extravagant floral gown. at a ball hosted by Pat Hills (Lord Mayor of Sydney).
1961: The Kennedy visit
Talk about legends! America’s first lady and John F.Kennedy were visiting England in 1968, and of course, they were invited to dine with the Queen. Both ladies looked amazing in their respective shades of blue.
Although everything ran smoothly during their dinner, rumours swirled around that Jackie wasn’t exactly wowed with the queen’s dress and that Jackie was unimpressed with the palace furnishings and the Queen’s comparatively old-fashioned wardrobe and hairstyle. The moment was also featured in an episode of ‘The Crown’.
1977: Silver Jubilee
For the Silver Jubilee anniversary, the queen posed for her Silver Jubilee portrait while wearing a white-and-gold frock with a zig-zag pattern, along with her royal cape and crown. She looked exactly how a royal should be, pure, classy and glamorous!
1980: Balcony glory
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh watch a flypast from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Elizabeth looked stunning in her green dress and match jacket.
2002: Jamaica visit
Jamaican children greet the Queen in Jamaica in a heartfelt ceremony and parade in her honour and for the independence of Jamaica. For the big day, the Queen opted to wear a beautiful blue dress, with white follower sequences, in honour of Jamaica.
2006: House of Lords party
Queen Elizabeth stole the show as she into the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament in a sparkly white body-skimming column gown, a fur stole, and a tiara. She looked amazing, to say the least, and surprised everyone with her fashion choice!
2011: Grandma’s duties
For grandson Prince William’s wedding, the Queen opted for a springy yellow dress from royal dressmaker Angela Kelly along with a matching topper, the latter of which featured handmade silk roses. As a symbolism lover symbolism, we are sure that the Queen chose the warm yellow tone to go along with the warmth, happiness, and sunshine that is associated with the celebrations.
2018: Baby blue
At Princess Eugenie’s wedding, the Queen wore a delicate baby blue dress, with white gloves. A possible symbolism of the purity of the wedding day. And although Princess Eugenie stole the show with her stunning wedding dress, Queen Elizabeth also got many headlines for her exquisite fashion choices.
2022:Platinum Jubilee
Queen Elizabeth rocked another Angela Kelly design for her official Platinum Jubilee portrait, where she paid homage to her late mother in the process with two ivy leaf clips that she had been gifted by the family matriarch.
There is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth II is one of the world’s biggest fashion icons and trendsetters. Despite the changing times, she has ruled each decade with her never-ending style and unique taste.
We would like to congratulate Queen Elizabeth II on her upcoming Platinum Jubilee.
images from Instagram/@theroyalfamily
