A celebration of the Queen’s inimitable style through the years (Picture: Getty /Metro.co.uk)
Queen Elizabeth II was many things – monarch and leader, mother and grandmother, animal lover, symbol of Britain. Along the way, there was one role it was impossible to ignore: that of glorious style icon.
From bold florals to highlighter-bright block colours and always the most fabulous jewels, the Queen has long been dressing in timeless – and often adventurous – pieces that continue to influence modern fashion.
The blue gown she wore to meet the Kennedys – try to tell us a celebrity today wouldn’t be hailed best-dressed for wearing the exact same on the red carpet.
Much of the Queen’s inimitable style was down to Angela Kelly, who had the grand title of Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to Her Majesty the Queen (Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe).
This made her responsible not only for designing, selecting, and styling much of the Queen’s clothing, but also working with the monarch to serve as a confidante and a sounding board for the creation of the Queen’s spectacular wardrobe.
Angela and the Queen’s relationship began in 1992, when Angela joined the royal household after working as a housekeeper for the British Ambassador to Germany.
She had no formal fashion training, but had learned from her mother how to sew outfits for her dolls.
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The Queen with her personal assistant and stylist, Angela Kelly (on the far right, sitting next to Anna Wintour) at London Fashion Week (Picture: Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images)
The Queen had met Angela by chance, and was clearly a fast fan – Angela mentioned she planned to return to the UK and one year later, she was offered a role dressing the ruler.
‘I suppose the Queen must have liked me,’ said Angela.
Three years later, Angela was promoted to Senior Dresser, then landed another promotion to the top decision-maker when it came to the Queen’s outfits.
During her time working with the Queen, she personally designed a number of iconic outfits, including the pale yellow dress coat Queen Elizabeth wore to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, and many of the ensembles worn on Zoom during the Covid-19 lockdown.
While Angela remained a discreet and trustworthy friend to the Queen, she did let slip some fun stories about Her Majesty’s style quirks.
‘We are two typical women,’ Angela once shared. ‘We discuss clothes, makeup, jewellery. We say, “would this piece of jewelry look nice with that outfit?”‘
The yellow dress coat worn for William and Kate’s wedding was an Angela Kelly original (Picture: Dave Cannon/GP/Getty Images)
Worn with pearls, white gloves, and a matching hat, of course (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
One of our favourite facts about the Queen’s style, as revealed by Angela? She absolutely loves a bargain – so much so that Angela regularly shopped from sale sections just to see the Queen’s joy over a good deal.
Angela has told one story of almost missing a flight home just to claim tax back (and thus cut the costs significantly) on some fabric in Singapore, knowing that the Queen would be ecstatic about the thrifty hack.
The Queen also had a genuine passion for clothing and was very involved in the daily decision of what to wear.
‘The Queen loves clothes and is a real expert on fabrics,’ Angela told The Telegraph. ‘It has not been a question of me teaching the Queen – it has been the other way around.’
Angela was always on hand to help, of course, even wearing in the Queen’s shoes so that she could be comfortable wearing them for long engagements (thankfully, the pair wore the same size).
There were some key considerations when it came to dressing the Queen.
The Queen’s style was honoured in an exhibition in 2016, titled ‘Fashioning A Reign: 90 years Of Style From The Queen’s Wardrobe’ (Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)
She was known for her brightly colourblocked ensembles (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
For one, every outfit the Queen wore for royal appearances needed to be easy to spot, so people would immediately know the Queen had arrived. You’ll notice that any time it rained during a royal appearance, the Queen would have a transparent umbrella so she could still be easily seen – with a handle and trim to match her ensemble.
All clothing needed to be comfortable and practical in changeable conditions, from the dreary grey skies of London to the warmer climes of her international visits.
The bright colours the Queen was known for had a pragmatic cause, sure, as the Queen needed to be visible, but also emerged from her own style preferences.
Elizabeth loved a nearly-neon shade, once joking: ‘If I wore beige, no one would know who I am.’
The Queen preferred her pieces to be timeless, with no obvious ties to the trends of a certain era, and she very rarely wore trousers. Due to frequent outfit changes, she liked items with zips (easy to slip on and off) and didn’t want any fabrics that would crease during her travels.
Oh, and she adored a pocket.
The Queen was often told off for having her hands in her pockets (Picture: Serge Lemoine/Getty Images)
Her choice to be frequently photographed with her hands in her pockets was a quiet act of rebellion (Picture: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
When the Queen was a child, her family often told her off for putting her hands in her pockets – so much so that all the pockets in her clothes had been sewn up so she couldn’t fall into the habit.
So for years, the Queen longed to not only enjoy the ease of a pocket, but also to be photographed with her hands defiantly stuffed inside.
Angela helped to make that dream come true, arranging for formal photographs of the Queen with her hands in her pockets – which were then finally released in 2019.
Timeless, stylish, but always with a sense of fun and quiet rebellion, the Queen’s style was entirely her own.
With all this in mind, let’s take a look back at some of her best ever fashion moments through the years.
At Windsor Castle, 1944
Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle: Try telling us the fashion girls wouldn’t wear this exact dress today (Picture: Lisa Sheridan/Studio Lisa/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Buckingham Palace, 1947
Check out the bow detailing (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Buckingham Palace, 1947
A wrap-style neckline will always be in style. Her, Princess Elizabeth wears it with the double pearl necklace she wore on her wedding day – see image below for more details (Picture: Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty)
Wedding day, 1947
Any bride would be proud to wear floral applique and a tiara on their big day – but it would be a feat to create one to match the one Princess Elizabeth wore on her wedding day. The dress was designed by Norman Hartnett and inspired by Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, embroidered with star lilies and orange blossoms, sewn with thousands of seed pearls. It took 350 women nearly two months to create the dress. Elizabeth wore the dress with a double pearl necklace – that looks like a two-strand of pearls, but is actually two separate necklaces that have been in the family for years. Her tiara – the fringe tiara – once belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary, and was made in 1919 for Mary using diamonds taken from a wedding gift she received from Queen Victoria. Princess Beatrice wore the same spectacular piece at her own wedding (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty)
Honeymoon, 1947
A very chic autumnal suit for the honeymoon, which the couple spend at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philip’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten and Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate – where Charles now likes to spend his summers (Picture: Central Press/Getty Images)
Coronation, 1953
A gown designed by Norman Hartnell, with stunning detailing, was to become Her Majesty’s Coronation dress. The gown had a sweetheart neckline and was embroidered with over 10,000 pearls and beads. It was trailed by a 15-foot train. The dress was commissioned in October 1952 and took eight months to create. It was embroidered with botanical symbols of British and Commonwealth nations: English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, lotus flowers, wheat sheaves, cotton and jute, protea and silver fern (Picture: Central Press/Getty Images)
At Badminton House, Gloucestershire, 1956
The Queen was a true countrywoman, more comfortable dressed for the great outdoors than in formal regalia (Picture: Tidmarsh/Hulton Archive/Getty)
Meeting the Kennedys, 1961
Pure princess style: When the Queen met Jackie Kennedy in 1962, it was reported that the latter, in a sleek, blue silk Chez Ninon gown, thought the Queen, in blue tulle, rather homely. We disagree (Picture: Bettmann Archive)
Malta, 1967
Another great coat moment (Picture: Harry Dempster/Daily Express/Getty Images)
Sydney, 1970
The Queen’s 1970 tour was a series of brilliant sartorial moments, like this adorable yellow situation (Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
New Zealand, 1970
It’s rare to see Queen Elizabeth in trousers, but we love this more casual look (Picture: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mexico, 1975
The trendsetter queen: Look at that matching turban and dress combo (Picture: Serge Lemoine/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
New Zealand, 1977
Pretty in purple (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
New Zealand, 1977
This cape is a touch Holly Golightly, no? The Queen was never shy of making a sartorial splash (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
New Zealand, 1977
Another fantastic hat, paired with the smile that endeared her to millions (Picture: Serge Lemoine/Getty Images)
In Morocco, 1980
Another glorious hat (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Quirinale Palace, Rome, 1980
Evening gloves like these are back in fashion, FYI (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Edward at Badminton Horse Trials, 1980
We love the classic combo of a coat and scarf (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Watching the polo, 1980
It’s not often you see vertical stripes (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
Taking a photograph, 1980
A cracking cardi (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
At Sandringham with the corgis, 1980
Great colour, great sleeves on this striking green coat. Adorned with the Empress Marie Feodorovna’s Sapphire Brooch. The wife of Alexander III of Russia received the brooch as a wedding gift in 1866 from her sister and brother-in-law, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Queen Mary later bought the brooch back as part of a collection of jewels with a price tag of £2,375. The Queen inherited it upon Mary’s death in 1953 and wore it both with and without the pearl pendant (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty)
Meeting Cliff Richard, 1980
When you’re meeting Cliff Richard, some sparkle is a must – in this case, the George VI Sapphires, which the Queen received from her father as a wedding present in 1947, hence their name. In 1952, the Queen had the necklace made shorter and had the largest stone removed. That stone was turned into a pendant and in the 1960s, she had a bracelet made to match. It has 300cts of sapphires and over 100cts of diamonds. Its value has been estimated at around £3.5million (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty)
Sri Lanka, 1981
Another great floral dress (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
Leaving St Mary’s after meeting baby Prince William, 1982
The perfect meeting-your-grandchild outfit, we say (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
30th anniversary walk, Sandringham, 1982
Love a bit of tweed (Picture: Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Getty)
Braemar Highland Games, 1982
We know Diana gets a lot of attention, but check out the Queen’s sweet pink ensemble, too (Picture: Terry Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)
Banquet in San Francisco, 1983
Ultimate 80s style – we adore (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Canada, 1984
One of the Queen’s early monochrome outfits (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
Bahamas, 1985
White accessories add a regal touch to a sweet pussybow dress (Picture: John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
Windsor, 1985
All the inspiration you need for a rainy day outfit (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Singapore, 1989
Fresh in florals (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
At the Derby, Epsom, Surrey, 1987
This is a rather bold print for the Queen, isn’t it? (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
London, 1990
The Queen chose bright colours to stand out in a crowd and made sure her hat never covered her face (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
Trooping the Colour, London, 1991
A demure gingham combo (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
At the VJ 50th anniversary parade, London, 1995
We would 100% wear this dress today (perhaps without the hat) (Picture:Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
South Africa, 1995
Now that’s what we call a conversation print (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
At the Royal Windsor Horse Show, 1998
An absolute dream of a daytime outfit, in our humble opinions (Picture: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)
South Africa, 1999
It might be time to bring back the sash (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
Westminster Abbey, London, 2000
The Queen was a big fan of structural headwear (Picture: Picture Library/Getty Images)
The Christmas broadcast, 2001
Sometimes a simple outfit in just one bold colour works perfectly (Picture: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)
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