Queen Elizabeth II’s style has changed over the years, going from more muted colours to bright, smart tailoring to flowing dresses, and even being unafraid to wear more casual and relaxed clothes. Her Majesty is also a fan of hats, headscarves, ponchos, shawls, and the odd tartan skirt and quilted gilet.
Although the Queen usually has a royal “uniform” which she very rarely moves away from, according to style expert Miranda Holder, the monarch has previously been seen in outfits that are a little different to usual.
Just last week, Her Majesty turned up to the Royal Windsor Horse Show wearing sunglasses with slightly orange-tinted lenses.
Lenses like these are, interestingly, in fashion at the moment, and not what one would expect a 96-year-old woman to be wearing.
The Queen was also seen in a thin jumper, a woolly cardigan, and a shawl, demonstrating that she knows how to layer – and knows it well.
Interestingly, though, her outfits for the horse show were in dark and muted colours, which differed from Her Majesty’s usual look.
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“The Queen is acutely aware that her wardrobe is actually paid for by the British taxpaying public, and so dresses to please us,” Miranda explained.
“This is one of the reasons for the rainbow of colours that we have come to associate with her, which helps her stand out from the crowd and be easily spotted by onlookers and fans.
“The Monarch famously stated that if she wore beige ’no-one would know who I am’ and she was absolutely right.”
The style expert went on to explain the Queen’s “style uniform”, which, with the help of her personal assistant and dresser Angela Kelly “has reinforced her personal brand by the savvy employment of block colour, a perfectly proportioned colour coordinated hat, gloves, sensible shoes and one of hot many smart Launer handbags”.
She continued: “Her look has become so iconic, that it has been surprising to have recently seen her wearing some more muted colours at the Royal Windsor Horse show.
“Her Majesty attended twice, to indulge her passion for horses and looked radiant, despite ditching the familiar vibrant hues and wearing a deep navy knitted cardigan on one occasion and a charcoal grey embroidered shawl on the other.
“This has proved to be confusing for the public as it’s quite a change of direction and while we can all ruminate upon the reasons for it, and thing is for sure – this decision will have absolutely been made consciously and intentionally.
“My thoughts are that the deep navy could have been a mark of respect for the late Prince Phillip as this was the first time the Queen has attended the event without him by her side, and the grey, or platinum with the silver embroidery was a clear reference to the imminent Platinum Jubilee.”
Miranda added: “We know the Queen has not been well over the past few months and it’s also worth considering the rules around royal etiquette that can sometimes be a little impractical and restrictive.
“It is considered unseemly for a member of the Royal Family to remove their coat while in public, which is why we often see Kate Middleton in her classic coat dress at occasions.
“It may, for health reasons, been impractical for the monarch to remain in one of her trademark coats for the duration of the show, perhaps from a mobility perspective, or simply because of comfort.
“In this case a cardigan or shawl is a far more comfortable and practical answer, and our Queen accessorised them both to perfection with strategic jewellery and a headscarf and still looked every inch the Royal icon.”