London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Decoding the Queen's colorful style

Decoding the Queen's colorful style

As Britain's longest-reigning monarch, the Queen is both a cherished and consistent part of public life -- her image synonymous with stability and tradition to the British people.

When masses gather and wait dutifully to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty, the color she steps out in is more important than you might think, too. Standing at 5 feet 3 inches, vivid hues like yellow, fuschia, purple, chartreuse and periwinkle make her easier to spot in large crowds. The Queen's bold wardrobe is so distinctive, it has spawned entire books dedicated to recording each beaming outfit. In "Our Rainbow Queen," Welsh journalist Sali Hughes notes Her
Majesty's color wheel considerations: "(she) won't wear green to grassy venues, nor dark colours against dark upholstery."

The monarch's commitment to a vibrant color palette is a sign of respect for those who take the time to support her in person. "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen,'" says Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex, in the 2016 documentary "The Queen at 90."

The Queen's official 90th birthday at The Mall on June 11, 2016 in London, England.


There is an art to dressing one of the most photographed women in history. Over her 60 year reign the Queen has amassed an army of staffers, but few have been trusted with the task of royal dressmaker. British designers Norman Hartnell, Hardy Amies, Stewart Parvin and Angela Kelly have all helped develop her style -- steering clear of trend cycles that can quickly fall out of favor.

Kelly -- the Queen's sartorial adviser for almost three decades and a close confidante -- has created an air-tight formula that ensures every one of the her 300 annual engagements hits the mark. From fail-safe weighted hem-lines and wager-worthy hats, to extensively researched weather forecasts and local customs -- the Queen's outfits are nothing if not judicious.

The Queen during a visit to The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial on March 31, 2021 near Egham, England.


"Our role as her dressers is to ensure that Her Majesty is appropriately attired for each occasion," writes Angela Kelly in her 2019 monarch-approved memoir, "The Other Side of the Coin."

"I look for movement with soft light materials, and might even switch on a fan to see how they behave in a breeze...As the light changes, or when Her Majesty moves to an interior space, this will have an effect on the color and texture of the fabric, and this must be taken into account."

Her Majesty carrying her trusty Launer handbag while visiting Balmoral, Scotland in 1974.


Her monochromatic looks are typically decorated with a three-strand pearl necklace and a sparkling antique brooch set in either gold or silver, while a glossy Launer handbag can usually be found in the crook of her elbow. Not only do these mainstay accessories bring a sense of occasion to the Queen's ensembles, they are a kind of sartorial crest on-lookers have come to expect and dissect -- with many eager to unearth sentimental stories behind each item. Take, for example, the hand-painted Centenary Rose Brooch commissioned by the Queen as a 100th birthday gift for the Queen Mother, which she in turn wore during a Christmas broadcast less than a year later after her mother passed.

Her Majesty horse riding in Windsor Home Park over the UK's May bank holiday weekend.


For languid afternoons spent walking the grounds of the Balmoral Estate in Scotland, the Queen is quick to switch out of her color block couture and into muted country wear made of tweed and tartan. Her off-duty attire is of equal importance, and often sets the mood for political arrangements. In 2016, when the Obamas arrived at Windsor Castle to meet Her Majesty for the third time, the Queen wore a silk scarf fastened under her chin (a defining feature of her more casual outfits), signaling familiarity and an informal tone.

The Queen wearing the Rose Centenary Brooch in 2008.


Fashion statements


Poised, appropriate and always strategic -- the Queen's styling choices are as much a form of diplomacy as they are an expression of identity.

In 2011, Her Majesty became the first British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland since its creation -- and the first to enter the country in a century.

The historic state visit was not taken lightly, with tactful considerations infusing every detail of the trip right down to the stitches on her garments. The Queen masterfully demonstrated the soft power potential of fashion, arriving in Dublin wearing a green coat and matching hat -- Ireland's de facto national color.

Later in the visit, she donned a white, silk gown embellished with more than 2,000 hand-sewn embroidered shamrocks and an Irish harp brooch made from Swarovski crystals.

Even in her early career, the Queen was well versed in the value of image-making and optics. Coming to power (and of age) during World War II, the young princess quickly became a vision of hope and optimism in war-torn Britain. She stoked those fires anyway she could -- carefully constructing an image that conveyed authority, elegance and decorum. One of the most readily available sources was her wardrobe.

Her Majesty during her engagement to Prince Philip in 1947.


In 1947, two years after the war had ended, the Queen used clothing ration coupons to purchase her wedding dress -- a common practice for brides at the time. It was a gesture of commonality, although Her Majesty did receive 200 extra coupons from the government to help cover the cost. The gown, made of ivory silk and duchess satin with a 15-foot train, was designed by Norman Hartnell.

Queen Elizabeth II watches as pallbearers carry the coffin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh inside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021.


At one of her more recent public engagements -- the funeral commemorating her beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh -- the Queen wore all black in line with a mourning tradition. Typically seen in bold colors, Her Majesty's somber outfit was all the more poignant for its rarity. Pinned to her coat was the Richmond Brooch, a diamond-encrusted wedding present gifted to Queen Mary in 1893. Her Majesty inherited the piece in 1953 and wore the flourish to Harry and Meghan's 2018 wedding, reinforcing its connection to marriage and coupledom.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
×