Queen Elizabeth II’s best outfits through the years

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Queen Elizabeth II died at her home in Balmoral on Sept. 8, 2022, at the age of 96, following an over-70-year reign — the longest in British history.
Over the course of Her Majesty’s historic time on the throne, we saw the monarch’s style shift over and over again.

From ’50s frocks to frilly ’80s ensembles and colorful wool coats, the Queen never failed to make a fashion statement. She once said she “had to be seen to be believed,” hence her penchant for bright colors that stood out in a crowd. Here, we take a look back at some of Queen Elizabeth II’s most iconic outfits through the years.

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Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, were nearly always dressed alike as children. For this 1936 portrait, the pair wore white ruffles.

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She proudly wore a uniform during her World War II service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

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The future queen wore a wedding gown designed by Norman Hartnell to marry Prince Philip in 1947.

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Now Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch wore a black veil as she attended the funeral of her father, King George VI, in 1953.

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Her coronation gown, designed by Norman Hartnell, was embellished with national symbols of the United Kingdom and the other countries of which she had become queen.

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She chose a full-skirted blue gown to meet President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie during their 1961 visit to Buckingham Palace.

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Her Majesty wore the gown her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, would later re-fashion as a wedding dress to the premiere of “Lawrence of Arabia” in 1962.

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She attended to premiere of “Doctor Dolittle” wearing a fur wrap and tiara in 1967.

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A 1972 photo shows the monarch in a typical at-home outfit while working at her desk in Balmoral, Scotland.

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She wore a heavily embellished gown along with a fur cape for the 1973 premiere of a West End show in London.

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Ever a tartan fan, the Queen smiled in a headscarf and pleated skirt during a day out in Windsor circa 1975.

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The Queen gave us a glimpse of what might have inspired the “Harry Potter” character Dolores Umbridge while wearing a pink cape during a 1970s equestrian event.

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The 1976 Silver Jubilee gave her an opportunity to break out a gorgeous new gown and some royal regalia.

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The monarch wore a lovely turquoise dress and matching hat as she shared a sweet moment with Princess Diana on her wedding day.

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One of her best-known (and most unusual) hats, this purple topper with a spray of feathers was a colorful choice for a 1982 tour of the Solomon Islands.

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During the same tour, Her Majesty wore a kicky blue pleated skirt and matching jacket.

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Her Majesty switched up her usual evening style with this frothy, full-sleeved gown for a meeting with President Ronald Reagan and the first lady, Nancy, in 1983.

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She wore a somber black dress to attend the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.

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The Queen’s brightly colored, sequin-covered “Harlequin” gown for the Royal Variety Performance in 1999 is perhaps her most controversial outfit of all time.

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It’s rare to see the Queen without one of her trademark colorful coats, but she went sans jacket with this drop-waisted floral dress for a 2002 visit to Jamaica.

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Her Majesty looked glam in white fur and jewels from the royal vault as she attended the State Opening of Parliament in 2002.

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Cheerful red and purple was a winning combination for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee tour.

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For the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Queen chose a sunny yellow coat, matching dress and hat.

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The Queen was known for her love of a headscarf, as shown here in a winter 2012 photo.

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At her Diamond Jubilee, the Queen looked lovely in an upside-down saucer hat and a white bouclé coat by her dresser, Angela Kelly.

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For her 2016 Trooping the Colour appearance, the Queen chose a lime-colored coat and hat that launched a thousand green-screen memes.

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Her Majesty wore another citrus-hued coat over a purple floral dress for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.

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She paired a diamond brooch inherited from her grandmother with a black face mask trimmed with white piping for the 2021 funeral of her husband, Prince Philip.

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The Queen debuted a stunning new blue coat and hat for her Platinum Jubilee balcony appearance during Trooping the Colour in 2022.

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Queen Elizabeth II’s best outfits through the years

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