Queen Elizabeth II's undeniable grace and impeccable fashion sense made her the epitome of class. Even when she was still a princess, the would-be queen knew how to dress. From her colorful dress suits to her sparkly gowns, these outfits show how the queen's style has evolved over the years.
1946 - A Sleek Dress With Subtle Embellishments
Queen Elizabeth II turned 20 in 1946, which was the year that this photo was taken. The young lady was still a princess at the time, and is seen here reading a large book in the palace.
She is wearing a sleek, casual dress with a fabric embellishment at the neckline and waist. The stitching forms a subtle pattern at the front of the skirt. She dressed up the outfit with a pearl necklace.
1947 - Her Wedding Day
The future queen was barely in her 20s when she married Prince Philip. On her wedding day, she wore a long-sleeved dress that was full of embellishments. The silk dress featured a lace neckline and the skirt had fabric flowers sewn into the front.
She wore her famous pearl necklace with matching earrings. The then-princess also had a crown with several spikes full of diamonds going around her head that gave way to her long veil.
1952 - Wearing A Teal Blazer With A Broach
By 1952, Queen Elizabeth II was well into her 20s and had begun to take on a more professional look. Here she is out in a rose garden with one of her precious corgis. The queen famously had 30 corgis in total over her life.
For the occasion, she wore a teal blazer with large black buttons and an emerald broach. She accessorized with a silver bracelet and pearls, and she opted for red lipstick.
1953 - The Queen's Coronation
The queen's coronation took place in 1953, and she couldn't have been more dressed for the occasion. She wore a white and gold gown that had floral embroidery. Overtop was a long cape that trailed for several feet on the floor behind her.
The cape's bright gold tassels matched her dress and it was held by a ruby clasp that matched the ruby on her crown. Her crown had spotted fur at the base to match the fabric running down the cape.
1954 - A Whispy Emerald Dress With White Gloves
Queen Elizabeth II shined in her wispy emerald dress the year after her coronation. The gown had translucent sleeves held by silver floral buttons. She accessorized with silver bracelets wore over her white elbow gloves.
Her pearl necklace and earrings matched the white headpiece resting over her short curls. The ensemble was undeniably classy and showed the queen stepping outside of the simple dresses and professional skirt suits that she so often wore in previous years.
1961 - A Boat Neck Dress With A Waist Tie
By the time the '60s rolled around, boat neck dresses were quite popular, and Queen Elizabeth II was not immune to the trend. Here she is wearing one while waving to a crowd next to Prince Philip.
The off-white dress has a hue of pink that compliments the queen's rosy skin. It also features a waist tie that she paired with a matching bow broach. She completed the ensemble with her classic pearls and dark red lipstick.
1967 - White On White On White
In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II illustrated how classy an all-white outfit can be by wearing a white dress with white gloves and a white fur coat. She didn't just leave it at that, though.
The queen gave the ensemble a burst of color with a ruby and diamond necklace. She mimicked the color of the ruby with her red lipstick and heavy blush. Who knew such a simple outfit could be so eyecatching?
1969 - A Lime Green Dress With Lots Of Sequins
As the '60s morphed into the '70s, bright colors and loud patterns were in. This transformation is even apparent in the queen's most elegant of ensembles. In 1969, Queen Elizabeth II wore a lime green gown with sequins embellishments.
The outfit was perhaps as funky as it gets at a formal royal event. To make the outfit pop even more, she wore jewelry that was just as sparkly as the sequins, and as her stunning crown.
1970 - A Yellow Coat And Frilly Hat
In 1970, the queen wore a stunning yellow coat with a loopy white design that matched her timeless white gloves. The outfit matched perfectly with her white and yellow hat, which had a frilly design and strands of fabric hanging from the back.
As usual, she paired the outfit with a pearl necklace and matching earrings. On one shoulder, she wore a pearl broach to match her jewelry and add a bit of zest to the simple coat.
1973 - A Bright Green Coat And Flowery Head Scarf
In 1973, Queen Elizabeth II emerged from her car wearing an eyecatching green coat. She paired it with a matching headscarf adorned with white flowers that matched her gloves, shoes, and purse.
The queen's love of flowers was apparent in many of her outfits, including her bridal gown. She accessorized with a pearl necklace and earrings that match her broach. Her red lipstick would have been a bit too loud with this ensemble, so she went for a soft pink one instead.
1974 - A Silky Blue Gown
Here Queen Elizabeth II is at the 1974 premiere of Murder on the Orient Express. She and her daughter, Princess Anne, wore color-coordinated gowns. The princess's doted a powder blue chiffon dress.
The queen had on a silky dress that was a shade darker than Anne's and featured rhinestone embellishments above the waist and around the arms. She completed the ensemble with a small, silver purse, white gloves, and silver jewelry with dark blue gemstones.
1976 - A Flowy Pink And Orange Dress With A White Fur Shawl
This ensemble goes to show that Queen Elizabeth II didn't need sparkles to impress at a fancy function. While she often wore gowns that twinkled like her crown, at this 1976 event she opted for something a little more subtle, but still gorgeous.
She paired a flowy pink and orange dress with her white fur shawl, creating an ensemble that's both modest and elegant. Her silver jewelry, purse, and her timeless pearls complete the charming look.
1979 - A Textured Pink Dress With Matching Hat
When Queen Elizabeth II arrived for her 1979 Kuwait visit, she was dressed to impress. The queen wore a textured rose pink dress that features a square pattern subtle enough to not overload the ensemble.
Her hat was made of the same fabric and had a long scarf coming from the top that cascaded over the queen's shoulder and reached past her waist. Her off-white gloves complimented the tone of her dress and her beige purse.
1981 - A Glittering Gown With Translucent Fabric
Queen Elizabeth II wore some pretty impressive outfits during her 1981 visit to Sri Lanka, including this Sir Hardy Amies gown. This was the second time the Queen visited Sri Lanka.
This particular visit was to celebrate t50 years of universal adult franchise in the nation. Britain has always had a multi-faceted interest in the affairs of Sri Lanka, so this visit was not surprising, even if the Queen's stunning attire was wholly unexpected.
1988 - A Yellow And Black Speckled Dress Suit
In 1988, Queen Elizabeth II attended a wedding wearing two colors that aren't often paired together in formal ensembles: yellow and black. Her yellow dress suit had speckled spots of black all over it and a black and white polka dot collar.
She wore a sparkly gold bow broach and pearls that pair well with the decorative balls attached to her hat. The hat also featured black and yellow stripes reminiscent of a bumblebee.
1992 - A Fluffy Pink-Purple Sweater Over A Red Dress
In 1992, crowds gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Higher Education in Reading and meet the queen. Queen Elizabeth II greeted crowds while wearing an outfit that made her seem both royal and approachable.
She passed by waving British flags wearing a red dress with a pink and purple knit sweater overtop. The queen completed the ensemble with a red hat that had pieces of fabric sewn into it that perfectly matched her sweater.
1995 - A Soft Yellow Outfit With A Peach Hat
Queen Elizabeth II certainly knew how to put outfits together, even with pieces that would seem like they might not go together. For instance, in 1995, she wore a yellow and gray dress with a matching cardigan.
Instead of pairing it with a similarly colored hat, she went with a satin peach hat decorated with flowers. She threw in another unexpected color by putting on her favorite bold red lipstick. Somehow, the ensemble still comes together.
1999 - A Colorful Sequin Sweater And Yellow Skirt
In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II arrived at the Royal Variety Performance in Birmingham looking colorful as ever. She popped in her sequin sweater, which had a diamond pattern with shades of pink, yellow, blue, purple, and green.
She could have picked any of those colors to match with her bottoms. The queen went with the most vibrant of them all, wearing a yellow skirt that was eyecatching in the evening dark. She completed the outfit with gold, silver, and pink jewelry.
2010 - A Yellow And Pink Floral Dress With A Unique Hat
Queen Elizabeth II visited Canada in 2010 wearing a bubblegum pink dress with a yellow-green rose pattern all over it. She doted a matching hat that is one of the more unique accessories we've seen on the queen.
The bright pink hat has a top hat shape but with tilts and layers that make it truly one of a kind. It also has a light green trim that ties in perfectly with her dress.
2019 - Making The Move To Faux Fur
As we've seen, fur was a staple of Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe for her entire reign. Her coronation robe even included plenty of Canadian ermine, which has been a long-standing tradition for the royal family.
But in 2019, Buckingham Palace announced that any new outfits designed for Queen Elizabeth II would not use real fur, news that pleased animal rights activists. The Queen's longtime stylist Angela Kelly revealed in a memoir that "from 2019 onward fake fur will be used to make sure she stays warm."
2021 - A Lime Green Coat And A Floral Hat
In 2021, Queen Elizabeth II visited The Royal Australian Air Force Memorial wearing a lime green coat and a matching hat. The ensemble had a subtle white pattern that gave it some texture, and the hat features bright white and yellow flowers attached to the rim.
Instead of her usual white gloves, the queen wore dark navy gloves that paired well with her purse. Her silver broach added a touch of sparkle to the outfit.
