The Most Iconic Outfits Queen Elizabeth Ever Wore

Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926 and spent her childhood with sister Princess Margaret, mother Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and her father Prince Albert, Duke of York, later to become King George VI. Here is a picture of the girls with their mother in Windsor’s Royal Lodge garden. The pink-and-white dress sported by Elizabeth is simply darling, and her smile is very genuine — she reportedly had a very happy childhood.

It’s hard to say which is the cutest element of this photo — a young Princess Elizabeth in her dress with white frills, or the loveable mutt enjoying her snuggles! This pic was taken in 1936 and the animal is either Jane or Dookie — the first two corgis the royal family owned. The story goes that a family friend had a corgi in 1933 and Elizabeth loved it. She then begged her father to get her one!

This incredible window into the past finds the Queen as a ten-year-old equestrian wearing full riding gear. Her lifelong love of horses began when she was gifted a Shetland pony at only four years old, and over the years she would own hundreds of horses. It’s easy to see how at ease she was around the animals, even as a child.  

This portrait — which was taken on April 17, 1940, for Princess Elizabeth’s 14th birthday — was intended as propaganda. The cutesy image of Elizabeth and her nine-year-old sister Margaret in white frilly dresses was supposed to warm the hearts of the British public while the country was embroiled in war. The dresses are relics of a bygone era, but are undeniably emblematic of children’s clothing at the time.

The Queen is the only female royal family member who spent time serving in the military. In 1944 at only 18 — and in the midst of World War II — she joined the army, training as a mechanic and truck driver. In ’45, she was made Commodore of the Sea Rangers, and this picture shows her in her official uniform. Just look at that steely, determined gaze!

On November 20, 1947, the Queen — then still Princess Elizabeth — married Philip Mountbatten, who was bestowed with the title Duke of Edinburgh. The country was only two years on from the end of World War II, so money was tight. Elizabeth used saved ration coupons — and an extra 200 rations she was gifted — to pay for her gorgeous pearl-encrusted Norman Hartnell wedding dress. 

In 1951 Princess Elizabeth attended her very first Trooping the Color ceremony in the place of her father King George VI. You see, he was gravely ill and couldn’t make it to his official birthday parade, so his daughter stepped in. We reckon she cut an impressive figure in the full palace dress, riding a horse into Buckingham Palace. 

Elizabeth became Queen of England on February 6, 1952, when her father passed away. It would take 16 long months for the new monarch to have her official coronation, though — that took place on June 2, 1953. Here she is wearing her coronation gown and the blue sash of the Order of the Garter — the oldest and most important ceremonial title in the United Kingdom.

For her coronation, Elizabeth enlisted the services of Hartnell again and he created a stunning white satin gown encrusted with pearls, crystals and sequins. It also had silver and gold flower designs to evoke the U.K. and the Commonwealth. The dress even had an Easter Egg — a four-leaf shamrock hidden away on the left of the skirt, which Hartnell put there for good luck!

Here is the Queen in 1952 wearing a smart green blazer and brooch combo. She is, of course, posing beside one of her corgis — the dog breed that became synonymous with her over the years. Mark Beazley, chief of The Kennel Club, told website iNews, “The Queen was, amongst many things, a world-famous dog-lover and really did symbolise the love and affection that our nation holds for their dogs.”

Once again we find ourselves in 1952 — this time with the Queen in mom mode. Her ensemble is very similar to the previous photo, which shows that Elizabeth knew when to get the most out of a great outfit. This photo was taken at Balmoral Castle in Scotland as young Prince Charles enjoyed his fourth birthday party alongside sister Princess Anne.

One of Charles’ presents on this particular birthday was this toy car, which he zipped around the grounds of Balmoral in. Check out how the color of the car has been perfectly matched to the Queen’s outfit, though. Elizabeth was definitely someone who understood the power of color-matching and personal branding in photos released to her adoring public! 

The Queen was always a lover of culture, and this picture is a great example of that. It was taken in 1954 at the Tivoli Theater in London on the opening night of the Italian Film Festival. The Queen rocked her Coronation earrings and necklace, as well as her Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara and they all enjoyed a performance of Neapolitan Fantasy.  

This picture features the Queen looking extremely regal next to husband Prince Philip. It was taken in 1956 during their tour of Nigeria, which at the time was part of the Commonwealth. With the crown, long white gloves, elaborate cream gown and matching green sash and jewelry, Elizabeth looked every inch Her Majesty.

In June 1961 the Queen and Prince Philip hosted American President John F. Kennedy and The First Lady Jackie Kennedy at Buckingham Palace. Jackie was, of course, also a fashion icon, and she wore a Chez Ninon gown that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Paris catwalk. The Queen refused to chase trends, though, wearing a beautiful blue fairytale ballgown and white gloves.

As an example of the Queen refusing to chase trends, you need look no further than this picture of her exiting a State Reception in Germany in 1965. The gorgeous jewelry pieces she’s wearing — a pearl-drop diamond-bow brooch and the Jubilee Necklace — were not created for her by contemporary designers. Instead, they were passed down to her by her grandmother Queen Mary after she died in 1952!

The Queen first began adopting bright pastel colors into her outfits in the ‘60s and into the ‘70s. You see, because she would often be the only woman at events full of men in dark tuxedos, her designer Hartnell made sure she stood out from the boring crowd. Here she is in a beautiful yellow-and-white ensemble during a 1970 tour of Australia.

The Queen’s blue floral dress and silver brooch ensemble in this photo is gorgeous, as is the corgi staring up at her with devotion. Over her lifetime, Elizabeth constantly had corgis in the royal household. Beazley said, “The peaks and troughs of the breed’s popularity can be traced alongside the Queen’s reign. In 1944 — the year after her first corgi was born — the breed jumped by 56 per cent in popularity.”

On November 20, 1972, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their silver wedding anniversary at Buckingham Palace. Dressed in their finery — with Philip wearing his official naval attire and Elizabeth another stunning gown — the Queen said, “If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction — I am for it.” Aww.

The Queen is in family mode once again in this photo, only this time it’s the whole clan! This portrait, featuring all four children — Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward and Princess Anne — was taken in 1972 and perfectly demonstrates the women in the royal family’s fashion outlook. The Queen and her daughter both pop because of their colorful pastel dresses, while the boys look dapper in dark colors.

When the Queen made a state visit to Mexico in 1975 she wore this stunning Hardy Amies dress. The bright-yellow garment with white polka dots was paired with a matching turban designed by Frederick Fox. Given that she was going for a walk with a group of children, the fun — almost childlike — ensemble was the perfect choice. 

In July 1976 the Queen wore this yellow gown to meet President Gerald Ford at a White House dinner celebrating the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence. They danced to “The Lady is a Tramp,” a song choice many questioned. Still, historian David Starkey observed to U.S. TV network CBS, “She’s said to have a very robust sense of humor with, it’s said, a coarse edge. I suspect she found it hilarious.”

During her trip to the States in ’76, the Queen also wore the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara to a state banquet. It had been created 102 years earlier by the Romanov court jeweler. It wound up being owned by the British royal family when Queen Mary bought it from the Grand Duchess in 1909. Talk about wearing a piece of history!

We love the outfit the Queen chose for the July 29, 1981, wedding of her son Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. The light-blue dress with three-quarter length sleeves paired perfectly with her white gloves, brooch, and stunning pearl necklace, not to mention her matching hat. It’s easy to imagine how proud Charles must have been of his mom on that day!

This look is classic Queen Elizabeth. She’s always looked great in shades of blue, and always picked out the perfect hat to make her outfit really pop. The reason we love this particular picture so much, though, is that it caught the Queen in a candid moment. Her husband Prince Philip was about to enter the Windsor Horse Show, so she needed to re-apply her lipstick for him — and for the cameras!

Speaking of candid moments, here is a wonderful moment of humor shared in 2005 between a husband and wife who had been married for 58 years at this point. As the Queen walks past Prince Philip, dressed in the classic Buckingham Palace uniform and bearskin hat, she can’t help having a giggle. He is smiling himself, perhaps because she once again looked radiant in her light-green coat and matching hat. 

No, this picture didn’t capture the Queen and Prince Philip donning 3D glasses to watch James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar in 2009. It’s actually from November 2010 when they visited the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center at the University of Sheffield. To be honest, that sounds way less fun, but the Queen still dressed for the occasion, rocking a deep-red coat and matching hat.

Here we have the Queen in full royal regalia at a 2012 service at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the Order of the British Empire. We’re used to seeing her in colorful dresses and hats, but not a long red state dress — complete with train that attendants were carrying — and the sovereign’s mantle. Judging by her expression, she understood the importance of the occasion.

Speaking of official royal regalia, here is the Queen and Prince Charles decked out in their finery for the Palace of Westminster’s State Opening of Parliament in 2019. There’s something awe-inspiring about the Queen sitting on an opulent throne, wearing a crown and necklace adorned with more priceless jewels than anyone could ever imagine! When many think of royalty, this is what they picture.

Away from the ceremonial events and her duties as monarch, though, the Queen was also an independent woman with her own life. This pic, for example, was taken in 2019 when she was 93 years old, and she was still driving herself around Home Park in Windsor! How cool is that? We love her floral headscarf, dark coat, and determined expression.

In her later years, the Queen became known for wearing vibrant color-blocked outfits. The reason for this was twofold. For one thing, she wanted to be relatable to her subjects, yet also instantly iconic. The bright colors helped achieve this, and they became as synonymous with the Queen, and with British culture as a whole, as London’s Big Ben clock. There was another, more practical reason for the bright colors, though.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, explained in the documentary The Queen at 90, “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen.’ Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.” Makes perfect sense.

We love this outfit choice, which the Queen wore in 2010 when she welcomed the Emir of Qatar into her Windsor home. The meeting was important, as the U.K. and Qatar were trying to further cement relationships surrounding their respective country’s business endeavors. The Queen modified her usual penchant for bright color blocking by choosing a deeper red, which was appropriate for the sober occasion.

In the end, many people’s enduring memory of the Queen’s fashion will be the bright colors of her later years. It’s believed she once said nobody would know who she was if she only wore beige, and she once stated, “I need to be seen to be believed.” To re-shape her image in the ‘00s, she enlisted the help of Angela Kelly — but it wasn’t a simple process.

In 2022 royal fashion expert Dr. Kate Strasdin told Metro, “This became a more recent phenomenon. If you look back at what the Queen was wearing in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, it wasn’t particularly a theme in her wardrobe. She had all sorts of things going on and certainly in the ’80s and ’90s. People weren’t always very complimentary about her choices.”

“The color-blocking was a more recent phenomenon under the leadership of Angela Kelly, who was taken on as her dresser but also essentially her private secretary in many ways,” continued Dr. Strasdin. “She took on this role along with a team of ten other people. Angela Kelly designed and oversaw the creation of what the Queen wore, so the color-blocking did become a feature of the last ten to 15 years.” 

To Dr. Strasdin, the key to the Queen’s mastery of her style was simple. She told Metro, “There were tweaks and adaptations over time, but actually, her sartorial consistency was part of her appeal. Her identity was rooted in this calm sense of consistency — so while everything else could be tumultuous and the world felt unsteady, you could look at her at any point and she looked herself.”

“This became part of her genius in terms of sticking to her style and not changing too much,” continued Dr. Strasdin. “Consistency became really important. When you have tumultuous times in a monarchy and people feel differently about the place of the monarch in society overall, the consistency she provided can’t really be… [overstated].” 

In 2022 Hazel Clark, a professor at Parsons School of Design, told Time magazine her theory on the Queen’s enduring status as a fashion icon. To her, the most important thing was that the Queen never tried to stay current in her fashion choices. She always favored classic looks that she knew worked for her — but this didn’t mean she lacked a sense of style.

“I would rather describe the Queen’s dress choices as ‘non-fashion’ but with a very strong sense of style, which she has developed and refined throughout her life,” believed Clark. “I think it has also helped communicate her status as a world leader. In other words, that sense of consistency in her appearance creates a sense of confidence and continuity.”