As the reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most recognized public figures in the world. For over 70 years, her iconic style and colorful wardrobe have captivated the public imagination. Yet behind the glamor and pageantry lies the very human question – does the Queen really put on her own clothes every morning?
The answer, it turns out, is more nuanced than one might think. Like all areas of royal life, the Queen’s dressing routines follow a delicate balance of tradition, practicality, and personal preference. Her Majesty takes an active role in choosing her outfits and preparing her appearance, though she does have a team of dressers to assist with the final fastenings and adjustments.
In this article, we’ll explore the intriguing behind-the-scenes process of how the Queen gets dressed, from her meticulous fabric selections to the special tricks used by her dressers. We’ll also analyze key decisions like why she favors bright colors and how her style has evolved over her lifetime. Though she lives a rarefied existence, Queen Elizabeth brings her own down-to-earth attitude to the task of getting dressed each morning.
Who Helps the Queen Get Dressed?
Queen Elizabeth has a small team of personal dressers, also known as “ladies-in-waiting,” who help her select and put on her outfits. Her Majesty’s senior dresser is Angela Kelly, who has worked for her since 1994 and holds the title Personal Assistant, Advisor, and Curator to Her Majesty.
Kelly and the other dressers bring sample outfits and fabric swatches for the Queen to look over and make final selections. Design sketches and photos of previous looks are also provided for consideration. Though she often sticks to favorite silhouettes and designers, the Queen still personally weighs in on each item before it is commissioned or pulled from her extensive wardrobe collection.
Once an outfit has been decided, the dressers help the Queen into the first layers of undergarments and begin the lengthy process of dressing her. Shoes, stockings, skirts, dresses, coats, and accessories must be put on in a particular order, along with hair styling and makeup. The total dressing time can take over an hour for a full-formal occasion.
The Queen’s Dressing Room Rituals
Queen Elizabeth conducts her dressing routines in utmost privacy within her apartments at Buckingham Palace. She has separate dressing rooms for daywear and for gowns, each with an adjoining bathroom. Her Majesty is aided by a dressing stool or chair with a built-in hydraulic lift so dressers can more easily reach for adjustments.
The Queen typically stands while getting dressed. She will brace herself against furniture or her dresser’s shoulder to step in and out of garments. For putting on stockings, she may sit in a chair and rest her leg on an ottoman. Sleeves and hemlines are measured precisely to fit Her Majesty’s petite 5’4″ frame.
Inside her dressing rooms are mirrored surfaces, natural light from large windows, and upholstered furniture where the Queen can relax between outfit changes. Once fully dressed, she will stand and visually assess her appearance from different angles before exiting her apartments.
Who Designs the Queen’s Clothing?
While she occasionally wears designer pieces by Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Dior, and other fashion houses, most of the Queen’s wardrobe is custom-made for her by British couturiers and in-house designers. Some of her longtime suppliers include:
- British couture designer Stewart Parvin – Created Her Majesty’s neon green coat and flower-adorned hat for her 90th birthday celebrations.
- Sir Norman Hartnell – One of the Queen’s main designers since the 1950s for intricate embroidered gowns and glittering tiaras.
- Hardy Amies – Appointed as an official dressmaker in 1955. Known for the Queen’s clean-lined dresses and coats.
- Ian Thomas – Specializes in day suits and eveningwear made from lightweight fabrics.
Angela Kelly also personally designs or co-designs many of the Queen’s outfits. She works directly with Her Majesty to bring their collaborations to life, interpreting theQueen’s style directives into sketches before creating the bespoke pieces. As Curator, Kelly even launched a small clothing line for the public called “The Queen’s Collection” featuring floral silk scarves and other accessories.
Why Does the Queen Favor Bright Colors?
The Queen is instantly recognizable by her choice of vivid, block color outfits adorned with matching brimmed hats. But her penchant for bright hues and bold patterns serves more than an aesthetic purpose. Her eye-catching ensembles are strategically selected to help the Queen stand out for adoring crowds during public appearances.
As a novice monarch in the 1950s, Elizabeth realized she needed more visually commanding outfits after appearing in drab clothing that blended into the scenery. Her couturiers subsequently tailored her wardrobe with brighter colors, large trims, and contrast buttons that would help her exude regality while also being visible from a distance.
According to her dressers, the Queen specifically requests outfits in colors that will pop against various backdrops like snowy Scottish hillsides or overcast spring days. Neon green, fuchsia pink, cornflower blue, and golden yellow are recurring shades in her rotation. She also favors loud floral prints that distinguish her in a sea of spectators.
The symbolic messaging behind Her Majesty’s hues has not been lost on observers. During her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees celebrating milestone years on the throne, the Queen notably wore silver, gold, and diamante-studded ensembles to mark the occasions.
Noteworthy Color Moments
Some of the Queen’s most iconic color statements over the years include:
- Her coronation gown by Norman Hartnell featuring floral emblems of the Commonwealth in pastel silks and glittering crystals.
- The bright pink coat and hat she wore while announcing Prince Harry’s birth in 1984.
- The lemon yellow outfit and hat she selected for William and Kate’s 2011 wedding.
- The neon green dress and coat designed by Stewart Parvin for her 90th birthday.
How Has the Queen’s Style Evolved Over Time?
While Her Majesty’s fashion choices still retain a consistent set of favored silhouettes, fabrics, colors, and accessories, she has subtly updated her style over her 70-year reign to stay current with the times.
In her early monarch years, the Queen embraced the ultra-feminine, cinched-waist silhouettes of Dior’s New Look and the lavish embellishments of 1950s couture. Her looks became more streamlined and geometric throughout the 1960s and 70s following mod style trends. In the 1980s, she began wearing more abstract prints and added shoulder pads for a powerful silhouette.
From the 1990s onward, Her Majesty has favored intricately detailed coat dresses, floral prints, and light day suits designed with unstructured lines. She now repeats her favorite outfits more often for public appearances. The Queen has also modernized her beauty routine, opting for subtle makeup looks instead of heavy matte foundation.
One element that has stayed remarkably consistent is the Queen’s set of symbolic accessories. Elements like gloves, brooches, hats, and her Launer handbags instantly signal her identity and status. Even the miniature umbrellas she carries on rainy visits have become a staple part of her visual brand.
The Queen’s Style Over the Decades
| Decade | Key Style Features |
|---|---|
| 1950s | Cinched waists, full skirts, lavish embroidery, extravagant jewelry |
| 1960s | Simple shift dresses, clean lines, geometric details |
| 1970s | Bold prints, ponchos and capes, wide brim hats |
| 1980s | Shoulder pads, abstract prints, morning suits with skirt ensembles |
| 1990s | Coat dresses, floral prints, pastels, periwinke blue |
| 2000s | Monochromatic color palettes, intricate details, matte makeup |
Does the Queen Wear New Outfits Every Time?
With over 200 public engagements per year, it would seem impossible for the Queen to debut new outfits at every event. Though she does add to her wardrobe each season, Her Majesty is pragmatic about repeating her favorite pieces. She will often recycle coats and dresses in different color combinations for years, even decades, of wear.
The Queen also has certain garments “refreshed” by replacing faded fabric panels while keeping intact other parts of the look like embroidery or trim. By modifying and mixing up accessories, she gives repeated outfits a fresh new appeal. Clever styling tricks allow the Queen to be cost-conscious while maintaining the illusion of an ever-evolving royal wardrobe.
Most Re-Worn Pieces
The Queen’s most re-worn items over the past 5 decades include:
- Yellow coat with blue trim first debut in the 1960s
- Green plaid coat dress dating back to the 1980s
- Floral rayon dresses in pink and blue embroidered with metallic thread
- Purple coat with bell sleeves worn yearly at Remembrance Day since the 1990s
- Bright fuchsia wool coat worn on yearly Christmas messages
She will often re-wear coats and dresses to Trooping the Colour, her annual birthday parade. While the public may notice repeat looks, the Queen skillfully styled them with different hats, brooches, and hairstyles for a fresh take.
Who Pays for the Queen’s Clothing?
The bulk of the Queen’s wardrobe is paid for through the Sovereign Grant, the government fund that covers official royal duties and palace operating costs. Several hundred thousand pounds per year goes toward commissioning Her Majesty’s bespoke clothing and augmenting her vintage pieces.
However, some of the Queen’s attire is privately purchased. She uses money from her inherited Duchy of Lancaster estate to buy clothes for non-public events like family holidays and private weekends. She also owns a small selection of cheaper, high-street garments for off-duty wear around the estate.
When the Queen attends weddings or visits abroad, the costs may be covered by other sources. Host countries often gift lavish dresses, wraps, and jewelry during state visits. Her family members will sometimes foot the bill for new ensembles to mark special occasions.
Once garments enter the Queen’s wardrobe, they remain her property even if she stops wearing them. Retired outfits are carefully cleaned, catalogued, and stored in climate-controlled archives by her dressers. Nothing is ever sold or given away even after decades in storage.
Conclusion
The Queen’s meticulous clothing rituals reveal the unique balance between public and private life for a modern monarch. Each bright bespoke outfit projects symbolic meaning about her identity, status, and values. Yet underneath lies a down-to-earth woman carefully preparing her image just like the rest of us getting dressed each morning.
After 70 years of relentless scrutiny, Elizabeth II has cultivated her own consistent style on the world stage. But she has always retained a human element of personal preference and practicality. For a taste of royal life beyond the pomp and pageantry, one need only imagine the Queen standing in her dressing room each morning, quietly zipping herself into another colorful coat dress to greet the day ahead.