Draft:Fashion of Elizabeth II

Some of Elizabeth II's outfits on display at Hillsborough Castle in 2013

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The fashion of Elizabeth II has been documented throughout her reign.

Norman Hartnell first started working for the Queen in the 1940s when she was Princess Elizabeth. He produced many evening dresses in the style that was his signature in the 1940s and 1950s: full-skirts, sumptuous silks, and duchesse satins. Hardy Amies began designing clothes for the Queen in the early 1950s and his outfits were known for their deceptive simplicity. In the 1970s the Queen awarded her patronage to Ian Thomas, who was an assistant designer to Norman Hartnell before setting up his own salon. He designed flowing chiffon dresses from the 1970s to reflect the relaxed style of the decade. Maureen Rose of the same house continued to design for the Queen after Ian's death until the late 1980s. From 1988 to 1996, the Queen's dressmaker was John Anderson. Stewart Parvin began to design for the Queen in 2000s. Angela Kelly was a personal assistant and senior dresser to the Queen, and was the Queen's dressmaker from 2002 until her death in 2022.[2] Angela and her team tried and used both old and new fabrics when designing.[3]

"If I wore beige, no one would know who I was" - Elizabeth II.[4][5][6]

Outfits

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Pre-1940s

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Royal christening gown

The outfits worn by Princess Elizabeth as a child were copied around the world.

1940s

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Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret starring in wartime Aladdin, 1943. (7936243828) (cropped)
 
Princess Elizabeth Visiting Airborne Troops, May 1944 H38619
 
HRH Princess Elizabeth in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, April 1945 TR2832

Norman Hartnell popularised utility style clothing in response to clothing rationing during the Second World War.

In 1947, Elizabeth had to purchase the material for her Wedding dress using ration coupons, due to the rationing of clothing at the time.[7] The dress was designed by Norman Hartnell.[8] Hartnell's signature was said to be embroidery, and he enjoyed "working with soft, floating fabrics, particularly tulle and chiffon, and with plain, lustrous silks".[8] The dress was made of Chinese silk, with a high neckline, tailored bodice and a 13 feet train, which was inspired by Botticelli's c. 1482 painting of Primavera.[9] Without straps and with long sleeves, it provided a "fit and flare silhouette".[10] On the wedding day, the dress glittered, bejewelled with pearls "skilfully combined with flowing lines of wheat ears, the symbol of fertility, and worked in pearl and diamante."[11] Hartnell, who had been Court Designer since 1938, claimed it as "the most beautiful dress I had so far made".[12]

 
Princess Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh wedding portrait

1950s

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After the War, Elizabeth took inspiration from Christian Dior's The New Look.

Hourglass silhouettes accented a small waist and large bust.

Coronation gown of Elizabeth II

 
Elizabeth II & Philip after Coronation
 
The Queen with and her then-Minister for Veterans' Affairs in Australia, 1954. The Queen's summer suit features a fitted short-sleeved jacket with a peplum and a full skirt.
 
Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour
 
Queen Elizabeth receiving a basket of flowers

1960s

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By the 1960s, the Queen's clothing had more relaxed, loose silhouettes.

 
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip host Queen's Dinner for President and Mrs. Kennedy, 1961
 
Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh 1963
 
Royal visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, February 1963
 
Queen Elizabeth Charlottetown 1964

1970s

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In 1970, the Queen wore trousers at a public outing for the first time, during her royal tour of New Zealand.

The Queen began to regularly wear monochromatic suits.

 
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visits the London Fire Brigade Headquarters, Lambeth
 
The Queen visits Washington (9714032219)
 
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing with Queen Elizabeth - NARA - 174724 (cropped)
 
Queen
 
la reine
 
numbered coat

1980s

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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Queen Street Mall, Brisbane City, c 1982
 
President Ronald Reagan riding horses with Queen Elizabeth II during visit to Windsor Castle
 
President Ronald Reagan, George Shultz, and Helena Shultz laughing at remarks by Queen Elizabeth II
 
The Queen of New Zealand, 1986
 
Elizabeth II trooping the colours (cropped)

1990s

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The Queen wearing sapphires
 
The Queen in Ottawa 1992

2000s

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Elizabeth II greets NASA GSFC employees, May 8, 2007

2010s

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25.Jun.2015 Queen Elizabeth II. and Prince Philip's visit to Frankfurt (19126377686)
 
QueenbdayRAH210418-105 (41036733364)

In the ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety, broadcast to mark her 90th birthday, the Countess of Wessex revealed that the Queen chose bright monochromatic suits with hats for public engagements so as to stand out in a crowd "for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen'". "Don't forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen's hat as she went past," said Sophie.[13]

Diamond Jubilee

2020s

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Hats

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+turbans, headscarfs

Notable hats

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Yellow Spaghetti Hat, 1965

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Investiture of Prince of Wales, 1969

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For Prince Charles's investiture at Caernarfon Castle in 1969, the Queen wore a pale primrose yellow outfit, which included a silk crepe long-sleeved coat and matching tunic, both by Norman Hartnell.[14][deprecated source] The Queen's choice of a primrose yellow silk hat divided fashion opinion, as many people had expected her to wear a crown for the occasion.[15]

The hat, designed by Hartnell and milliner Simone Mirman, was shaped like a helmet and heavily embroidered with pearls.[15] It had a matching panel of silk that covered the back of the head to the nape of the neck.[16]

The Royal Collection Trust states that it 'appears to have been inspired by Tudor prototypes'.[16] According to Michael Pick, the author of "Norman Hartnell: The Biography", Hartnell "wanted something that reflected the history of Caernarfon castle, so that's where the Tudor motif came from".[15]

Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, 1977

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For the Silver Jubilee Thanksgiving Service on 7 June 1977, the Queen opted for a pink outfit by Hardy Amies with a matching rounded hat, designed by the Queen's milliner Simone Mirman.[17]

The hat, a stylized take on a tam cap, was covered in the same pink silk crepe as her dress and coat. The fabric was stitched in closely repeated contoured lines that followed the shape of the hat and had 25 bell-shaped flowers attached to it; 25 flowers for 25 years of reign.[15][18] The flowers were anchored to the top of the hat, leaving them to freely swing back and forth as the Queen moved.[19] The 'pink-bells' were detailed with yellow stamens and green silk cord stems.[18]

The hat caused a sensation and the response was not entirely positive. The hat drew criticism from many, including Labour politician Neil Kinnock, who mocked the accessory as "a disconnected switchboard".[15][18]

Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, 1998

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At the 1998 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Queen wore a coral hat the wrong way around during the closing ceremony.[20]

When Angela Kelly, the Queen's dressmaker, took the hat out of the box, she felt that the hat—with a commanding shell-like brim and a very large flower on the reverse—wouldn't suit her and complement the outfit. She raised her concerns with the Queen, to which the Queen did not agree.[21] Kelly suggested that the Queen wear it back to front, and could ask the Duke of Edinburgh for his opinion as "he always tells her the truth". After consulting the Duke, the Queen decided to wear the hat the wrong way, as Kelly had suggested.[22]

State Opening of Parliament, 2017

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At the 2017 State Opening of Parliament, the Queen wore a blue day dress, instead of traditional ceremonial robes of state and the Imperial State Crown, as the ceremony was conducted in a "dressed-down" manner, due to the snap general elections held earlier that month.[23] The Queen accessorised the outfit with a matching hat by Stella McLaren, which had five blue flowers with yellow cores stitched to the front, which some believed resembled the EU flag.[15][24] As the Queen was known for sending coded messages from her wardrobe, many interpreted that the Queen was endorsing the European Union and opposing Brexit, at a time when the UK was in negotiations with the EU over Brexit.[23][25] Buckingham Palace did not comment on the issue.[26] Later in her book, Angela Kelly, the Queen's dressmaker said that the hat's resemblance to the EU flag was a pure coincidence.[23][27]

In 2018, the Queen wore the same hat when welcoming President Trump to Windsor Castle, but the flowers had been replaced by a ribbon.[15]

Hairstyle

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Australianstamp 1520

Makeup

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Handbags

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Queen Elizabeth II 2015 HO1 (cropped to handbag)
 
StateLibQld 1 99060 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, arrive at Government House, Brisbane, 1954
 
President and Mrs. Nixon meet with Her Majesty the Queen and Prime Minister Heath in England - NARA - 194333

Shoes

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By country

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Australia

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At Brisbane Airport, 1982
At Government House, Canberra, 2011

The Queen has routinely worn yellow during her visits to Australia

The Queen has regularly worn yellow during her visits to Australia, ever since her first visit in 1954.[28][29] On the first evening engagement of the 1954 tour in Sydney, the Queen wore the Golden Wattle dress by Norman Hartnell, which was made from mimosa gold tulle and embellished with twinkling sprays of golden wattle, the national flower of Australia.[30] In the official Australian portrait of the Queen, Wattle Queen, Sir William Dargie painted the Queen in this evening gown by Hartnell.[31]

For a children's rally at Manuka Oval in 1954, the Queen again wore a wattle yellow dress with a hat made of wattle sprigs and grey-green foilage.[32] For the 1974 tour of Australia, she wore a dress and cape of bright yellow silk-chiffon, embroidered with sprays of wattle, by designer Ian Thomas.[33]

 
The Queen wearing the Wattle brooch meets Australian Governor-General Michael Jeffery, 2007

The Queen also owns a Wattle brooch, which was gifted to her by Prime Minister Robert Menzies on behalf of the Government and people of Australia on her first visit in 1954.[34][35] Made of platinum, and set with yellow and white diamonds, the brooch is in the form of a spray of wattle, and tea tree blossoms.[34][36] The Queen has worn the brooch many times on her visits to Australia, for instance, at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in 1970, Sydney Opera House in 2000, and during her arrival to Canberra in 2006 and 2011, or to Australia-related events in Britain.[34][37]

Canada

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The Queen wearing a red outfit and a white hat on Canada Day, 2010. Red and white are the national colours of Canada.

In the role of the state personified, the Queen has worn clothing symbolic of Canada.[38][39] For instance, during her 1957 visit to Ottawa, the Queen wore to a banquet held at Rideau Hall the Maple-Leaf-of-Canada dress; it was a pale green satin gown, edged with a garland consisting of deep green velvet maple leaves appliquéd with crystals and emeralds. Afterwards, the dress was donated to the Crown Collection and is now held at the Canadian Museum of History.[38] Similarly, for a dinner held in July 2010 in Toronto, the Queen wore a white gown with silver maple leaves appliquéd on the right sleeve and shoulder.[40] Occasionally, the Queen will wear clothing designed with Aboriginal motifs and/or materials made by some of Canada's First Nations peoples. For the opening of parliament in 1977, the Queen wore a gown with gold fringes that was suggestive of an aboriginal princess and,[41] in 2010, wore in Nova Scotia a coat trimmed with beads made by women of the Mi'kmaq nation.[42]

The Queen also owned various jewellery pieces that are distinctively Canadian, such as two maple leaf brooches, one made from pink and yellow precious gems and the other from diamonds.[42] The diamond maple leaf brooch was originally owned by The Queen Mother, and was first worn by the Queen on her 1951 tour of Canada, when she was still Princess Elizabeth.[43]

To mark the Queen's Sapphire Jubilee as Queen of Canada and the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, she was presented with the Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch by Governor General David Johnston. Designed as a companion to the diamond maple leaf brooch, the piece was made by Hillberg and Berk of Saskatchewan and consists of sapphires from a cache found in 2002 on Baffin Island by brothers Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik.[44]

New Zealand

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The Queen wearing the New Zealand Silver Fern Brooch during the Royal tour of New Zealand, 1953
The Queen wearing the Silver Fern Brooch in her official portrait as Queen of New Zealand, 2012

New Zealand does not have a specific national dress, but Māori cloaks are often worn by people as a national symbol.[45] Cloaks made from finely woven kiwi feathers hold great prestige and authority in New Zealand. The Queen was gifted a korowai (woven cloak) during her first tour of New Zealand in 1954, and has often worn her cloak on subsequent visits to New Zealand, including for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1990.[46]

The Queen owns a Silver Fern Brooch, which was given to her by Lady Allum, wife of the Mayor of Auckland, on behalf of the women of Auckland on Christmas Day in 1953.[47] The diamond and platinum brooch is in the form of a leaf of silver fern, an important emblem in New Zealand.[47][48] The Queen has worn the brooch regularly during her visits to New Zealand and to New Zealand-related events in Britain.[49]

Saudi Arabia

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Other

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Umbrellas

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"Green screen" dress

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Holt, Bethan (2 June 2022). "The seven style stages of Queen Elizabeth". The Telegraph.
  2. ^ "The Queen Made a Very Special Decision Regarding Royal Aide Angela Kelly's Home Before Her Death". 12 September 2022.
  3. ^ The Queen and fashion
  4. ^ Holt, Bethan (2 June 2022). "The seven style stages of Queen Elizabeth". The Telegraph.
  5. ^ "Power dressing: The Queen's unique style". 31 May 2022.
  6. ^ "How the Queen's style changed down the decades". 14 September 2022.
  7. ^ Gibson, Clare (15 October 2001). The Wedding Dress. Courage Books. ISBN 978-0-7624-1119-1. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  8. ^ a b Steele, Valerie (9 November 2010). The Berg Companion to Fashion. Berg Publishers. p. 392. ISBN 978-1-84788-592-0. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  9. ^ Bowles, Hamish (25 April 2011). "Hamishsphere: A Vogue History of Royal Wedding Dresses". Vogue Daily. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  10. ^ Philip Delamore (8 December 2005). The Perfect Wedding Dress. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55407-130-2. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  11. ^ "The Queen's Wedding Dress". Fashionera.com. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  12. ^ "A Royal Wedding: 20 November 1947". The Royal Collection. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  13. ^ "Sophie Wessex explains the Queen's famous sense of style". 9 May 2020.
  14. ^ "The Queen's controversial style pick for the Investiture of the Prince of Wales". Royal Central. 1 March 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g "Pretzels, switchboards and faux fur: the royals' most controversial hats". The Guardian. 6 November 2019.
  16. ^ a b "The Prince of Wales's Investiture". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Silver Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  18. ^ a b c "What Is Jubilee Day? What The Crown Season 3 Finale Got Wrong About It". Oprah Daily. 4 December 2019.
  19. ^ "'The Crown' costumes: Recreating the royal family's boldest fashion moments". CNN Style. 18 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Inside story of the Queen's back-to-front hat". The Times. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Why the Queen once committed a fashion faux pas and wore a hat backwards – on purpose". HELLO!. 21 April 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  22. ^ "The Queen experienced a fashion fail on this royal tour". Marie Claire. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  23. ^ a b c "No hat trick? Similarity to EU flag 'coincidence', insists Queen's dresser". The Guardian. 28 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Queen's Speech: Is the Queen wearing an EU hat?". BBC News. 21 June 2017.
  25. ^ "People Are Convinced The Queen's Hat Is A Subtle Dig At Brexit". 21 June 2017.
  26. ^ "Queen's hat has striking similarity to the EU flag; theories fly on Twitter". CNN. 21 June 2017.
  27. ^ "The Queen's 2017 'European Union' hat was just a coincidence, new book reveals". HELLO!. 1 November 2019.
  28. ^ "Why the Queen always wears yellow during her royal tours of Australia". 9Honey. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  29. ^ Victoria Murphy (2021), Town & Country: The Queen: A Life in Pictures, Hearst Home Books, p. 120, ISBN 9781950785094
  30. ^ "The Queen's Australian fashion highlights". Now To Love. 28 October 2015.
  31. ^ "The Most Lavish Outfits Queen Elizabeth Has Ever Worn". The List. 5 February 2021.
  32. ^ Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry (2002). Fifty Years the Queen: A Tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Her Golden Jubilee. Dundurn. p. 91. ISBN 9781550023602.
  33. ^ "Queen and Commonwealth: The Royal Tour". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  34. ^ a b c "Queen wears special Australian jewel for meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison". 9Honey. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  35. ^ "The Queen's Australian Wattle brooch". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  36. ^ "A guide to The Queen's collection of brooches, which are more influential than you think". Vogue Australia. 20 July 2021.
  37. ^ "The Austraian Wattle Brooch". The Court Jeweller. March 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  38. ^ a b Trepanier, Peter (2004). "Some Visual Aspects of the Monarchical Tradition" (PDF). Canadian Parliamentary Review. 27 (2). Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  39. ^ Parliament of Canada. "The Diamond Jubilee Window: A Celebration of the Crown in Canada > The Diamond Jubilee Window". Queen's Printer for Canada. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  40. ^ "The Queen pulls out all the sartorial stops on Canadian trip". Hello!. London: Hello Ltd.: 2 July 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  41. ^ Bousfield, Arthur; Toffoli, Garry. "Elizabeth II Queen of Canada > Accustomed to Her Face". Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  42. ^ a b Hello! 2010, p. 5
  43. ^ "Kate's maple leaf brooch connects long history of royal visits to Canada". CBC/Radio-Canada. 27 September 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  44. ^ "A New Canadian Brooch for the Queen". The Court Jeweler. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  45. ^ "Clothing and identity". Te Ara. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  46. ^ "Kiwi feather cape (kahu kiwi)". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  47. ^ a b "The Ultimate Guide To Queen Elizabeth's Brooches". Bustle. 2 July 2021.
  48. ^ "Silver fern brooch". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  49. ^ "Queen Elizabeth's Brooches Are More Than Just Pretty Jewels—and Their Secret Meanings Are Fascinating". Town & Country. 2 April 2020.
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Category:Elizabeth II Category:British royal attire Category:Australian fashion Category:British fashion Category:Canadian fashion Category:New Zealand fashion