While personal style may be seen as a small, if not trivial part of Queen Elizabeth's legacy, the impact the Royal Family has on fashion cannot be overstated. From Princess Diana to Kate Middleton and the Queen herself, the Royals' carefully chosen attire can reflect changing times and attitudes, as well as capturing the zeitgeist of their era.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday, September 8 at the age of 96.
In remembrance, we've collated a small selection of the iconic ensembles she wore throughout her life in homage to her classic yet unique style.
The Queen began to embrace colour as the decades wore on, slowly moving away from more conservative palettes and the white dresses she coveted in the 1940s. She started curating a wardrobe that teamed traditional, tailored silhouettes in vibrant hues with coordinating accessories - including her umbrellas. While it became commonplace for the Queen to theme her garments around the national flags of the nations she visited on royal tours, this gradually evolved into more vivid, monochromatic ensembles that featured bright, striking shades of green, blue and pink, paired with a matching, dramatic hat.
Let's take a look back as we pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, April 21, 1926 - September 8, 2022.
Elizabeth's first solo engagement
For Princess Elizabeth's first solo engagement on May 25, 1944, the 18-year-old addressed an assembly of the Governors Court at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children as their president. The ensemble hallmarked an early example of her personal style, with Elizabeth opting for a collared, unbelted jacket and pleated skirt, accessorised with a dramatic hat, pearls and a sparkling broach.
Engagement to Prince Philip
For the official announcement of her engagement to Philip in 1947, then Princess Elizabeth opted for a white dress - a staple of her wardrobe at the time - and teamed it with a dark red lip and strings of pearls.
Wedding to Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey
Elizabeth's wedding gown has become an iconic moment in fashion history. Designed by then leading couturier Norman Hartnell, who she later enlisted for her coronation gown, the dress was inspired by Botticelli's celebrated painting Primavera. As per Vogue, the ivory duchess satin and silk creation was teamed with a tulle and lace veil, featuring appliqued blossoms.
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey
For the Queen's coronation on June 2, 1953, the royal donned a heavily embroidered gown featuring the floral emblems that represented the nations under her jurisdiction. According to reports, it took the seamstresses eight months to create the gown, which was designed by aforementioned couturier Norman Hartnell.
Premiere of Lawrence of Arabia at the Odeon
The Queen donned an elegant but slightly more daring design by Norman Hartnell for the London premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962, according to Vogue, which featured a puffball skirt and sparkling embroidery on the bodice. The gown was accessorised with diamond jewellery, a similarly glittering purse, long white gloves and a stunning crown. The dress was later upcycled by her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice of York, for her wedding in 2020.
Royal Variety Performance at the Birmingham Hippodrome
Perhaps one of her most uniquely unforgettable looks, Queen Elizabeth opted for a fun and vibrant ensemble for the Royal Variety Performance in 1999. The outfit certainly gave spectators 'variety', with the Queen teaming a sequinned, harlequin shirt with a silky, striped gold and yellow skirt and matching gold accessories.
Golden Jubilee
For the 50th anniversary of the reign in 2002, the Queen celebrated in an appropriately gold ensemble, featuring a polka-dotted jacket, knee-length skirt and, of course, a flamboyant, matching hat. The white polka print was nicely tied in with white accessories, including her gloves, pumps and purse.
Royal Windsor Cup Final
For the Royal Windsor Cup Final in 2021, the smiling Queen stood out in a vivid, highlighter-green coat over a floral dress with a matching flowered hat, harking back to her classic looks all those years ago. Despite a few more unexpected choices, the Queen was consistent with her penchant for coordinating colours, floral prints, matching accessories, pearls and tailored, unbelted coats. She also had worn almost exactly the same ensemble three years prior when she was photographed laughing with Meghan Markle in 2018.
Portrait commemorating Queen Elizabeth's 96th birthday
Photographed with two of her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale, on the grounds of Windsor Castle in commemoration of her 96th birthday in April. The Queen donned a poignantly Edinburgh green coat - the colour of her late husband Prince Philip's livery, as per Vogue.
The Queen's last photograph
The last photograph to be taken of Queen Elizabeth II, at least the last publicly shared photograph, was of her greeting newly appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss. Taken a mere two days before she passed peacefully at Balmoral, the Queen was pictured in a more casual ensemble, wearing a cardigan, collared shirt and plaid skirt.
