Yesterday, the Queen became the first monarch to reach 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms, and the Commonwealth as she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. That’s also 70 years (and more) as an unsung hero of British fashion.
While recent years have seen fashion experts recognising the Queen’s favoured style of head-to-toe colour-blocking mixed with her signature accessories, this has not always been the case. There’s no doubting that the Queen’s style has evolved throughout time, from the sparkle and splendour of formal events in the early days of her reign to the florals she adopted in the 1970s and 1980s.
So, if you think the Duchess of Cambridge is the Royal Family’s style icon, you are mistaken. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to look back on the Queen’s sartorial timeline.
1932
Oh, so she’s always had style. We can totally see where Princess Charlotte gets her coat inspiration from.
1946
Pictured alongside her sister, the pair are sporting full-length gowns with the kinds of sleeves we’ve seen a lot of in the past year or so. It may have taken a while, but they two have certainly set a trend.
1951
We adore this bright green dress, especially the cinched waist and the ruffled neckline. Hello, summer!
1953
That sweetheart neckline though… swoon. Here, HRH breaks an unspoken royal rule by going sleeveless. Amazing.
1960
Queen Elizabeth II donned this gorgeous beaded gown, created by Norman Hartnell, to attend a film premiere in this full-on Singin’ in the Rain flashback.
1973
This embellished sage green headscarf is the stuff of dreams. So extra and we love her for it.
1988
Queen Elizabeth II went all-out country bumpkin in her tweed for the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
1994
A matching tartan moment with your husband surrounded by the royal corgis is nothing less than iconic.
1998
Queen Elizabeth II is rocking a pair of sunnies with a preppy shirt look for the Windsor Horse Show here. A classic accessory that one must never overlook.
2010
The trench coat: a simple wardrobe staple for anyone with any sense of style. So, of course, our Queen has one.
2018
Typical of a more modern-day Queen Elizabeth II outfit, she can be seen in bright sunshine-yellow, a matching hat, with her go-to patent top handle bag from Launer.