The Queen's 13 Most Memorable Fashion Moments
Queen Elizabeth II's life was synonymous with service and sensibility, but the beloved sovereign also had an enviable sense of fashion throughout her reign. From the monarch's wedding day in 1947 until her last days, the Queen displayed a very specific sense of style.
Her formalwear was always on point. The monarch would mature to favor bold, bright colors for a very specific reason. And she looked just as regal in a simple coat and headscarf as she did on her coronation day.
Here are the Queen's 13 most memorable fashion moments, including outfits she chose for travels abroad and ensembles she selected while close to home. You may be surprised by just how style savvy the late Queen really was.
Her wedding day
It was November 20, 1947 when Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip.
The 21-year-old wore a gown by an English designer named Norman Hartnell according to Page Six, with the look reportedly based on a Botticelli painting. The timeless gown was created from ivory silk and featured a 15-foot train (via Tatler).
About the world-famous fashion, which took 350 people to sew, Hartnell said it was "the most beautiful dress I had so far made."
Her coronation
Queen Elizabeth must have loved her wedding dress enough to rehire Normal Hartnell to create her show-stopping coronation dress (via Royal.uk). The white satin gown featured embroidery of emblems from the UK and Commonwealth, which she paired with shoes that have their own backstory.
Good thing the monarch had a chance to rewear the jaw-dropping feat of fashion. In fact, she donned the headturner six more times following her 1953 coronation. Since those occasions, the dress has been put on display three times, including the most recent instance for her June 2022 Platinum Jubilee (via Vanity Fair).
Australian tour in 1954
Most of us don't think of Queen Elizabeth as being a glamorous young monarch, but in the 1950s, that's exactly what she was. During a tour of Australia shortly after her coronation, she also displayed an admirable sense of fashion, including this gauzy gown that any of us would wear in a heartbeat even today.
Since this early trip when the Queen was only 27 years old, she visited Australia 15 other times according to the State Library of New South Wales.
Just being a normal person
Although she was the Queen of Britain, the monarch was just as comfortable wearing a gown fit for a royal as she was donning a coat and a headscarf. In fact, this casual look was made famous by HRH and she continued to enjoy this fashion statement, as well as spending time outdoors and with her beloved pets, until her final days.
Her Jackie O moment
While on a 1970 tour of Australia and New Zealand, royal fans may have done a double take. But no, this photo is not of Jackie O, but rather Queen Elizabeth, who donned a pillbox hat and gloves much like the famous American fashion icon was known for (via W Magazine).
To be fair, the Queen may not have appreciated being compared to the former first lady, as Parade reports the two women were not friends and instead, may not have even been on good terms following a somewhat-disastrous 1961 visit at Buckingham Palace.
Morocco in the '80s
She may have been in her fifties by the 1980s, but Queen Elizabeth II still demonstrated an impressive sense of fashion know-how during a visit to Morocco. This green frock is what dreams are made of and most certainly stands the test of time. Paired with gold accessories, and a crown, naturally, it's safe to say all eyes would have been on the monarch during this particular night out.
Pretty in pink in 1984
The Queen was well-known for her preference for bright, bold colors, even into her nineties. In this image, we see the long-serving monarch beaming in a pretty pink coat and matching hat featuring a large bloom.
Look closer and you'll see that the Queen is wearing a pearl necklace and brooch, accessories she sported throughout her 70-plus year reign (via Vogue).
Still royal in 1994
Even as she got older, no one did formalwear like Queen Elizabeth. This photo was taken in 1994, with the monarch wearing a dress that features echoes of her coronation gown.
Meanwhile, the sash the royal wore to formal occasions signifies royal order, with blue denoting the Royal Victorian order (via People). Somehow the monarch made the combination of a white gown with gold accents and a blue sash just work.
At a performance in 1999
This multi-patterned gown that Queen Elizabeth wore in 1999 was a very different look than we were used to seeing from the royal. This eye-catching look was called the "Harlequin" dress and was created by Karl-Ludwig Rehse (via People).
The monarch chose the interesting ensemble for a variety performance in 1999 and while she was known to favor look-at-me hues so she'd be noticed, this fashion was a surprising selection for the Queen.
About the design, Rehse said, "She was stunning. She's like all ladies, she'll go for something new. She's fun to work with and very knowledgeable about fabrics. She knows how the clothes have to behave – how they have to move" (via My London).
Golden Jubilee 2002
In 2002 when Queen Elizabeth commemorated her Golden Jubilee marking 50 years on the throne, she was just getting started.
This shimmery navy blue gown was what the monarch wore to a party that was part of the celebrations. Naturally, the Queen accessorized the gorgeous look with a dazzling sapphire and diamond necklace, which she wore throughout her reign. According to Express, the piece was made from sapphires her father gifted her on her wedding day.
In the later 2000s
The look we would come to know the Queen for was definitely exemplified here, with HRH donning a brightly-colored coat dress and matching hat.
As royal expert Daisy McAndrew explained to Today about the Queen having favored hues like hot pink, purple and yellow, "She's quite small — so sometimes just quite difficult to spot — so her dressers ... decided some years ago that it would be helpful if she was brightly colored so that people could spot her easily."
Christmas 2021
The Queen did festive as well as she did formal. In her 2021 Christmas address, which would be her last, the monarch donned a bright red dress and her favorite accessory: pearls. As People reports, queens have been wearing pearls for a thousand years, so this preference was in keeping with tradition.
Meanwhile, it was said that the Queen loved the holiday season and for this final broadcast, she chose an Angela Kelly embossed sheath and a brooch worn on the Queen's honeymoon after her 1947 wedding, a nod to her first Christmas spent without her husband (via USA Today).
In her final days
Queen Elizabeth was fashionable until the end of her life. This photo, taken of the monarch on September 6, 2022 during her unprecedented with meeting with new Prime Minister Liz Truss, is thought to be the last image of the Queen, who died just two days later.
Royal fans must love to see her smiling, dressed smartly in a plaid skirt and cardigan, wearing her favorite footwear for decades: Anello & Davide loafers (via Vogue Australia).