Queen Elizabeth II She’s dead, but her flawless style and decades of iconic looks will last forever.
In her 70-year reign as head of the British royal family and ruler of the monarchy, she has become a fashion icon with an ever-evolving style befitting the Queen.
As a young princess coming of age during World War II, the Queen often dressed up to reflect what was happening in the UK at the time, sending a message with her clothing choices.
Princess Elizabeth attends a state banquet at Rideau Hall, Ottawa, during an official visit to Canada in 1951.
Getty Images
For example, Vogue UK reported that the Queen used Ration coupons for the Duchess’s wedding dress, 1947 A typical step for brides in wartime.
Brides Magazine reported that the dress itself featured a 15-foot train inspired by Botticelli’s Renaissance painting “Primavera,” and was It symbolizes a period of growth and rebirth England after the war.
Queen Elizabeth II: The sweetest, funniest moments of her reign
Read more
Her coronation gown was another example of a dress full of meaning—it featured the floral emblems of several Commonwealth nations, including the Canadian maple leaf, English rose, Welsh leek, Scottish thistle, Irish shamrock, and Australian cattle. New Zealand flower and fern.
to me Honoring the Queen on her deathTake a look at her fashion evolution and some of her best style moments over the years.
Wei Princess
As a girl, Queen Elizabeth was often seen wearing pleated or pointed dresses, knee-highs, and sensible jewelry typical of the young royal family, to this day. According to Marie Claire of the United Kingdom, her father, King George VI, continued the tradition of Queen Victoria Gifting a pearl to his daughters every year on their birthdayensuring a full set by the time they turn 18.
Princess Elizabeth walks through the rain to visit the Royal Championships at Olympia, London in 1932.
Canadian Press
Princess Elizabeth arrives at the 16th century chapel in Balcombe, Sussex, for the wedding of Lady May Cambridge and Captain Henry Abel Smith in 1931.
Canadian Press
Princess Margaret (seated) with her sister Princess Elizabeth in 1933.
Canadian Press
freshman years
The princess as a young woman was a fan of elegant and simple dresses, cut in timeless silhouettes.
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, two debutante princesses, circa 1946.
Getty Images
Princess Elizabeth reviews the Grenadier Guards Regiment of which she was Colonel-General in the United Kingdom in 1946.
Getty Images
Her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 saw the aforementioned wedding dress by Norman Hartnell – one of the few designers the Queen has confided in making her custom wardrobe pieces over the years.
Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, at Buckingham Palace, London, after their wedding on November 20, 1947.
Associated Press
In her private life, she continued to wear uncomplicated dresses and coats and kept her wardrobe fairly simple.
Britain’s Princess Elizabeth appears at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, England, on August 26, 1946.
Canadian Press
Dressed in a flared floral blouse and skirt, Princess Elizabeth runs through the intricacies of “Swing Your Partner and Do It” at a private square dance party at Government House in Ottawa, on October 11, 1951.
Canadian Press
young queen
Hartnell was also commissioned to make the Queen’s coronation gown, which took nearly a year to complete and required the skill of six embroidery.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on Coronation Day 1953.
Canadian Press
Always aware of the over-criticism of the royal family, the Queen was a fan of repeating royal fashion and took careful steps to re-wear things from her wardrobe for public occasions. She re-worn the coronation dress on multiple other occasions, including while addressing Parliaments in 1953 and again during a visit to Canada in 1957.
The Queen and Prince Philip enter the Senate to open Parliament on 14 October 1957. Prince Philip wears the uniform of Colonel-General of the Royal Canadian Regiment, the Queen’s Coronation Gown.
Canadian Press
It was also during this time that the Queen began to experiment with style as she entered the public arena and spent most of her time carrying out her royal duties and patronage.
Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Government House, Melbourne, during her tour of Australia, March 1954.
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne leave the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh after the second day of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Canadian Press
Queen Elizabeth II wears a sheer white lace dress at a garden party in Sydney, Australia, before leaving for Tasmania aboard the ‘SS Gothic’, February 1954.
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during a visit to the Mediterranean island of Malta, 1951.
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Patterns, pastels and emoji hats
When the Queen settled well into her royal role, she combined extravagance with everyday life. She was often seen in lavish ballroom gowns and intricate tiaras while attending state dinners and parties, but she opted for tiered coordinating groups while on tour.
The Duke of Edinburgh, then First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth II and then US President John F. Kennedy at Buckingham Palace in 1961.
Canadian Press
Queen Elizabeth II greets children during a tour of Antigua, during her Silver Jubilee tour of the Caribbean in 1977.
Getty Images
During this time, the Queen greatly enjoyed her hats and headdresses. The world saw her dressed in a wide variety of factories, often in fun prints or faux florals.
Queen Elizabeth II wears a polka dot turban at the opening of Jubilee Park in 1977.
Canadian Press
Queen Elizabeth II inspects a guard of honor outside Cardiff City Hall, Wales, in 1977.
Canadian Press
Queen Elizabeth II appears in a carriage on her way to her Silver Jubilee celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1977.
Getty Images
special rainbow
After the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, the palette of solids and big, playful patterns became the Queen’s favorite collection. She wasn’t afraid of color—she wore nearly every color imaginable in the latter part of her reign—but it became clear that skirt and matching blazer sets and colorful coat dresses were her go-to look.
Queen Elizabeth II visits the Peel Sports Centre, Perth, during her Silver Jubilee visit to Scotland.
Canadian Press
The Queen and Prince Philip arrive for dinner on a trip to Hungary in 1993.
Tim Graham Photo Library / Getty Images
By wearing solid colors, the Queen ensured she was instantly recognizable on every occasion, even from afar.
Queen Elizabeth II walks in a field of ceramic poppies in the Tower of London in 2014.
Christy Wigglesworth/The Associated Press
This attire became the Queen’s unofficial ‘dress’ and it was not uncommon for British bookmakers to bet on what color the Queen would wear at high-profile occasions.
Queen Elizabeth II, surrounded by many members of the British royal family, attends Christmas mass at St Mary Magdalene on December 25, 2017.
Chris Jackson / Getty Images
The Duchess of Cambridge with Princess Charlotte, Queen Elizabeth II, Duke of Edinburgh on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2016.
Getty Images
However, the Queen kept things simple, dignified, and diplomatic by choosing brooches from her huge collection, or including minute clothing details that bore meaning to the various organizations and countries she visited.
Queen Elizabeth II and Nancy Reagan arrive for a concert during an official US tour on February 28, 1983 in Long Beach, USA.
Anwar Hussain / Getty Images
Robert Logan, general manager of Raffles Hotel, greets Queen Elizabeth II, who stayed on a trip to Singapore in 2006.
She was also often seen carrying the same black handbag on her arm and classic low-top pumps.
Queen Elizabeth II smiles as she inspects the Queen’s bodyguard from the Yeomen of the Guard at Buckingham Palace in central London in 2007.
Johnny Green/The Associated Press
Queen Elizabeth II arrives with her private secretary Robin Janvrin on a tour in Budapest, Hungary in 1993.
Getty Images
As she got older, Queen Elizabeth began to delegate more royal duties to her children and grandchildren and attended fewer events. However, she was always a lecturer in royal style, appearing at royal events in her finest formal attire.
Queen Elizabeth II leaves the Palace of Westminster in London after addressing the official opening of Parliament on Wednesday 15 November 2006.
Matt Dunham/The Associated Press
Queen Elizabeth II meets James Bond actor Daniel Craig at the world premiere of Bond Royale in Leicester Square in London in 2006.
Getty Images

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.