What dresses were worn by royals at different times: From Princess Margaret to Meghan Markle

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Looking at these luxurious dresses, you involuntarily begin to think that even today, some of them are a real work of art. And it is not at all surprising that these outfits still have historical value and many rich people are ready to buy them for fabulous sums, but only not everything can be bought in this world …

1. Princess Margaret

In honor of one of the most significant events, namely her birthday, Princess Margaret, who turned nineteen, posed for her own portrait. On it, she is depicted in a light, neat dress that boasted no closed shoulders, as well as stylish and cute butterflies. And in the hands of the girl were soft pink roses. The portrait was created by the famous photographer, artist and designer Cecil Beaton, who used a painted background to complete the image, giving the picture a special romantic atmosphere. And it is not at all surprising that in 1950, in a book dedicated to the princess, there was a mention of how good Margaret looked that day, and her impeccable taste and fashion sense could not be compared with other ladies.

2. Queen Elizabeth II

In June, 1953, at the time of her coronation, Elizabeth II shone in all her glory. She wore a sumptuous silk dress adorned with intricate embroidery of gold-colored glass beads, pearls and diamonds. One of the most famous and fashionable British couturiers, Norman Hartnell, worked on the design of the dress, who, listening to the opinion of the future queen, made several adjustments. As a result, in addition to the four official emblems of Great Britain, three more dominions were added, namely: the famous Canadian maple leaf, the wattle fence of Australia and the silver New Zealand fern. Soon, this dress was recognized as a truly ingenious design creation of the twentieth century.

3. Princess Anne

Princess Anne, the royal's only and beloved daughter, was one whose style was often overlooked. Being an adventurous person and a costume designer, she always invented and came up with something new and extraordinary. At the premiere of the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" Anna appeared in a dress that had a design straight from the seventies: a bright, floral print, lantern sleeves, as well as a stand-up neck only emphasized her beauty. This simple, but at the same time daring outfit produced a real sensation, and Anna, according to one fashion magazine, was recognized as a true style icon.

And in 1978, upon arriving at the Dorchester Hotel in London, Princess Anne - the mother of Zara Tyndall and Peter Phillips - donned a white floral ruffle dress and white evening gloves. In terms of accessories, she wore necklaces, taking care not to emphasize them.

4. The Queen Mother (August 1980)

The queen decided to celebrate her eightieth birthday at the opera, where she came in a luxurious, long dress made of light chiffon, which was draped with golden lace. And without this, the royal image was complemented by an Indian-style diadem made from a scattering of rubies and diamonds, which had previously been the property of Queen Victoria. Previously, this precious family jewelry consisted entirely of opals, and only then, after the reign of Alexandra, they were removed and replaced with rubies.

5. Princess Diana

In 1981, on the day of her wedding with the Prince of Wales, the audience's favorite, elegant and charming Lady Dee, looked like a movie star, not a representative of royal blood. She literally shone in a luxurious golden pearl dress with puffy sleeves. As a matter of fact, 1985 was no exception, and Diana appeared at the James Bond premiere in another equally chic dress made in the same colors and shades as the wedding one. After such an enchanting public appearance, Harper's Bazaar magazine named her one of the most beautiful and stylish princesses of the 20th century. But for a gala dinner at the National Gallery in Washington, DC, Diana chose a white, beaded silk asymmetric dress (previously worn for the premiere of "Octopussy"), created by Japanese designer Hachi. At Christie's in 1997, it raised more than seventy-five thousand dollars.

One of Dee's most iconic dresses, made of dark blue velvet by Victor Edelstein, in which she appeared during a visit to the White House in 1985, where she danced dashingly in a dance with the protagonist of Pulp Fiction, and then again in 1987 in the time of the state visit to Germany; the April 1988 premiere of Wall Street; and for his last official portrait photograph taken by Prince Charles' uncle, the Earl of Snowdon, in 1997. "Travolta's Dress" was also auctioned for nearly two hundred twenty-three thousand dollars in 1997 (breaking Christie's auction record of $ 145,000 for clothes), and then for $ 362,424 in 2013 it was sold to a British gentleman as a surprise to cheer up your wife.

And at the gala evening of the fortieth Cannes Film Festival dedicated to actor Alec Guinness, Dee, in the company of her husband, shone in a soft blue chiffon dress with bare shoulders, complemented by an elegant stole in the same color. Such a spectacular appearance was appreciated and Diana was once again called a style icon.

6. Queen Elizabeth II, portrait with Prince Philip

In November 1987, Queen Elizabeth II, posing for an official portrait with Prince Philip, donned a long white dress with a simple dot pattern, and the main decoration of her outfit was a wide blue belt of the Order of the Garter, where she was the main ruler. A dainty tiara and a diamond necklace finish off the look, and despite her love of vibrant colors, she tends to stick to whites and neutrals for formal occasions and portraits, while trying to look understated and elegant.

7. Princess Diana's Dresses

Despite the fact that it was January in London, Princess Diana was not afraid of the cold. She appeared at the performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, wearing a pink and blue floral print by Catherine Walker, which she adorned with a large necklace to match her sapphire engagement ring. Diana wore this dress for a dinner ball in Melbourne during her royal tour of Australia.

Princess Diana's white silk gown, embellished with pearls and sequins, has been called the "Elvis gown" because of the matching high collar bolero jacket. In 1989, Diana wore it to the British Fashion Awards, and then wore the same dress on an official visit to Hong Kong in November of the same year.

8. Princess Margaret

In honor of the Queen Mother's 90th birthday in 1990, held at the Palladium in London, Princess Margaret appeared at the ceremony in a blue silk dress, complemented by a cape, necklace and matching earrings. The royal guests enjoyed performances by Michael Caine and Roger Moore, Dame Kiri Te Kanava, Howard Keel and Placido Domingo.

9. Princess Diana, 1996

A year before her death, Princess Diana visited the United States and attended a gala dinner in support of cancer research at the Field Museum of Natural History. She wore a long sleeveless dress from her close friend Gianni Versace and Jimmy Choo shoes of the same color, and during her royal tour of Australia in October 1996, Princess Diana donned another dress from Versace, this time elegant with one shoulder in royal blue. Diana was a guest of honor at the Victor Chang Institute's Royal Ball. She wore high heels, a pearl bracelet, drop earrings and an aquamarine ring.

10. Queen Elizabeth II 2003-2011

On June 2, 2003, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her coronation, the Queen posed with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince William at Clarence House (Charles' official residence). She was wearing a long pink sequined dress, complemented by a silver handbag and shoes, and, of course, lots of diamonds. Although the queen often wears pink, royal style observers have decided that her favorite color is blue. At a banquet at Dublin Castle during a state visit to Ireland in 2011, the queen wore a white silk dress embellished with nearly 3,000 hand-embroidered shamrocks. For her accessories, she chose the Queen Mary tiara, diamond necklace, brooch and bracelet, and immaculate white evening gloves.

11. Duchess of Cambridge

Designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Kate Middleton's stunning wedding dress was a lace gown with long sleeves and a nine-foot train. Obviously, Kate wanted to combine royal traditions with her own modern style and it worked. Her dress has inspired countless imitators and will undoubtedly remain one of the most talked about royal wedding dresses of all time.

On their first official royal sortie, the Cambridge couple attended a gala evening in London. Kate wore a pearl pink dress designed by Jenny Packham, her favorite designer. It is also worth noting the fact that exactly four years ago, at a children's hospice concert, she reappeared in it, causing a flurry of gossip and discussions behind her back related to her twice "exposed" outfit.

12. Duchess of Sussex

At the wedding reception, Meghan Markle at Frogmore House appeared in a luxurious silk crepe dress with a long train and a plunging neckline, emphasizing her attractive forms. This delightful outfit was created by designer Stella McCartney, who approached her task responsibly. The bridal look was complemented by graceful Aquasura shoes and a ring previously owned by Lady Dee.

Two years ago in Tonga, at the Australian Geographical Society's awards ceremony, Megan appeared in a spectacular black and white dress, decorated with flying birds along the entire length. One of the best American designers, namely Oscar de la Renta, worked on the creation of this outfit.

It's worth noting that in 2018, during her royal visit to Fiji, Meghan's maternity wardrobe was highly praised for its minimalism and sophistication. Indeed, at the gala dinner, she appeared in a luxurious long dress with a matching cape from Safiyaa. Massive diamond earrings complement the restrained but elegant ensemble as a pleasant addition to the look.

Read also about how they look, as well as the chosen ones of celebrities.