Whether they're performing a royal engagement or posing for an official portrait,
the royals generally stick to an inoffensive and conservative wardrobe. That said, they know how
to make a fashion statement. Here are just a few royal outfits that mean more than you realized.
Choosing the perfect wedding dress can be intimidating. After all, there are a lot of
factors to consider. While it's true that the royal family has access to esteemed designers
and an epic budget, a royal bride has the added pressure of being seen and judged by
millions of people. She also has the task of respectfully representing the royal family.
That said, Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, proved she was up to the challenge.
In 1947, the future monarch walked down the aisle wearing a beautiful dress. At the time, the nation
was recovering from the second world war, which meant clothing was still being rationed. Elizabeth
was not exempt from rationing, according to History. However, she used rationing coupons
in order to purchase the material for her gown and, instead of making an ostentatious display,
she wore a gown embroidered with spring flowers to convey a message of renewal to the country.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated in 1992, but both continued to perform royal
engagements. This is why it was shocking that, in June 1994, Princess Diana defied the royal
dress code and stepped out wearing a tight, above-the-knee, black silk dress complete
with a daring sweetheart neckline. Before long, the outfit became known as the "revenge dress."
While Diana was looking fabulous and attending a party hosted by Vanity Fair,
her estranged husband's documentary was making its television debut. Charles was attempting to repair
his image through the documentary, but he ended up admitting on national television to having an
affair during his marriage to Diana. When asked if he had been faithful, Charles responded:
"Yes… until it became irretrievably broken down."
As a result, the revenge dress was born. According to Reader's Digest, auction house
owner Kerry Taylor, who has auctioned off many famous gowns once owned by Diana, said,
"She wore that the same evening Prince Charles confessed to his adultery with Camilla.
While some would have been like 'I can't face it this evening' Diana went out in
that dress looking drop dead gorgeous. She made a big statement right there."
On the eve of the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's passing,
Kate Middleton accompanied her husband Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry,
to visit the Sunken Garden. In memory of the late princess,
the area had been turned into a White Garden. Per Kensington Palace's Twitter account,
"White Gardens follow a tradition [...] to
create peaceful and contemplative spaces where visitors can reflect."
Kate couldn't have picked a more perfect outfit to wear to such an occasion. As InStyle reported,
"Middleton looked elegant in a green Prada tea-length dress with a poppy print,
high neck, and long sleeves."
The poppy print was especially significant, as per the Royal British Legion,
"Our red poppy is a symbol of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future."
The flower is most often worn to honor fallen soldiers,
but it appears Kate wore the flower in remembrance of her husband's late mother.
For her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry,
Meghan Markle opted for a symbolic bridal veil. Kensington Palace revealed on Twitter,
"Ms. Meghan Markle’s wedding dress has been designed by the acclaimed British designer, Clare
Waight Keller. [...] Ms. Markle expressed the wish of having all 53 countries of the Commonwealth
with her on her journey through the ceremony. Ms. Waight Keller designed a veil representing the
distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition."
The 53 countries were represented by a variety of their native flowers and Meghan had two of her
personal favorite flowers added. Meghan included the Wintersweet, which is found near Kensington
Palace, and the California Poppy, the state flower of California, the state from which Meghan hails.
Lastly, the 16.5-foot-long veil also featured wheat crops to symbolize "love and charity."
Sometimes a royal will wear an outfit to make a statement,
and sometimes a royal will wear an outfit to not make a statement. The latter was the
case when the Duchess of Cambridge attended the British Academy Film and Television Arts
Awards in 2018. The month prior, at the 75th Annual Golden Globes in Los Angeles,
California, celebrities wore black in support of the Time's Up movement. The overwhelming
majority of celebs in attendance at the BAFTAs also decided to wear black. But, not Kate.
Instead, Kate opted to wear a dark emerald green gown, which made her stand out amongst
her fellow attendees, most of whom were cloaked in black. It wasn't necessarily a good thing.
"This issue doesn't just affect women in Hollywood. This issue affects women everywhere."
However, there's a reason for Kate's dress choice. Times Up is a political movement, and politics and
royals aren't supposed to mix. The queen, and by extension the entirety of the royal family,
is meant to always remain neutral when it comes to politics. By choosing not to wear black,
but also choosing not to wear a bright color, Kate made a polite, but apolitical, stance.
Prior to her wedding day, Princess Eugenie hinted in an interview with
ITV's This Morning that she might wear an open-back wedding gown. The princess said,
"I had an operation when I was 12 on my back, and you’ll see on Friday, but it’s a lovely way
to honor the people who looked after me and a way of standing up for young people who also
go through this. [...] I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars
and I think it’s really special to stand up for that. So that’s one really important one."
Sure enough, Eugenie wore a stunning, low-back gown.
According to a statement from the royal family,
"The low back feature on the dress was at the specific request of Princess Eugenie
who had surgery aged 12 to correct scoliosis."
After seeing the way Eugenie confidently showed her scar,
some took to social media praising the royal for encouraging them to do the same.
Although Meghan is usually one for neutrals, the Duchess of Sussex debuted a very
different ensemble when visiting Birkenhead, England with Prince Harry in January 2019.
The duchess wore a striking purple dress with a bright red wrap coat
for the occasion. The color combo was, by all accounts, daring. One person tweeted,
"If you’d asked me yesterday, I’d have said you can’t wear red and
purple together without looking like a preschooler who chose her own outfit. But
wow, Meghan looks stunning. She’s so gorgeous. Glowing."
Not only did Meghan look stunning,
she was also paying homage to the late Princess Diana. According to People,
"Harry’s mother Princess Diana blended the bold hues on several occasions,
most memorably during a 1989 trip to Hong Kong when she paired a purple
skirt with a red cardigan topped by a hat featuring both shades."
You may have noticed that Queen Elizabeth nearly always wears gloves,
and there are several reasons for that. Genevieve James, the creative director of
the glove maker Cornelia James, which makes gloves for the queen, told Reader's Digest,
"When you’re the queen and you’re shaking hands, you don’t really want to show your
arms [...] The glove goes a bit under her [sleeve], so you don’t actually see
any arm. [...] They’re an integral part of her outfit [...] You never see her without gloves."
"She loves pure cotton."
Queen Elizabeth purchases her gloves in a large order of about 36 pairs per year,
as James explained,
"I think the royal family wants to be seen as being economical,
not wasting money on things like that."
The queen even has a few pairs of gloves that are from multiple decades ago,
that she will rewear on occasion.
Meghan looked positively glowing as she and her husband Harry introduced their son Archie to the
world. The Duchess of Sussex posed for pictures and gave a brief interview while wearing a white
trench dress by British designer Grace Wales Bonner. While Meghan's wardrobe choice was lovely,
there may have been a more significant reason behind its selection. As Vogue highlighted,
"Wearing a British designer to introduce the world to the seventh-in-line to the
British throne was a masterstroke move by the former Suits actress.
It’s respectful but also a fashion-forward choice by way of the tuxedo style."
But, that's not all. Like Meghan and little Archie,
Grace Wales Bonner is also biracial. The designer, like the duchess,
has been open about navigating the world as a woman of mixed-race heritage. Meghan
chose the perfect time to use her platform to introduce millions to Bonner's stunning designs.
When proud parents Harry and Meghan presented their newborn baby to the public, Meghan wasn't
the only one wearing something symbolic. The couple's son made his first fashion statement,
even if he wasn't aware of it at the time. Royal expert Emily Andrews revealed on Twitter,
"[Archie] has been wrapped in a very traditional merino wool
'leaves & flowers' shawl from royal favourites GH Hurt & Son. William [and] Kate also chose
[shawls] from the same company to present George, Charlotte & Louis to the world!"
Nottingham Post revealed that the company first made a shawl for Prince Charles when he was
born in 1948. According to People, Charles and Diana also gifted their firstborn son,
William, a shawl from the brand. Following in the same tradition, William and Kate introduced all of
their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, to the public wearing GH Hurt & Son shawls.
In a statement, the company revealed their pride in providing a shawl for baby Archie, and said,
"In doing so we have continued a royal tradition now going back over 70 years."
In June 2019, Prince Louis attended his first Trooping the Colour parade,
and he looked a whole lot like his uncle, Prince Harry. That's because he actually
borrowed an outfit from his 34-year-old uncle. Some three decades earlier, Harry attended the
1986 Trooping the Colour wearing the same thing. Compare the pictures from that Trooping the
Colour so many years ago with the one in 2019 and you'll notice that Kate is also donning a
similar outfit to what Princess Anne wore at the time, a yellow dress with a wide-brim hat.
Four years earlier, Prince George was also spotted at the Trooping the Color parade
wearing a blue onesie that looked identical to a onesie worn long ago by his father William,
his uncle Prince Harry, and his grandfather Charles. Royal expert Ingrid Seward told People,
"Kate is an art historian and she likes making these
set-piece statements. [...] They never throw their significant clothes away!"
Kate Middleton has re-worn accessories and outfits dozens of times. As a member of the royal family,
there's no doubt that Kate could certainly afford a new designer ensemble for every big event,
but there's an important reason for her recycling, fashion experts speculate.
Senior style reporter and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, Elizabeth Homes, told The Cut,
"I think what it reveals is that the royals want less focus on their clothes [...] It
takes the spotlight off of what they're wearing and puts it on the cause."
When pictures surfaced of President Donald Trump attending the state banquet alongside
the royal family in early June 2019, many started to wonder if the queen was throwing
shade on the president by choosing to wear her Burmese Ruby Tiara. According to the jeweler,
"The Queen’s Burmese Ruby Tiara is one of the most symbolic and personal pieces
created for Her Royal Highness by the House of Garrard. The 96 rubies mounted in the tiara
were originally given to the queen as a wedding gift from the people of Burma,
intended as a symbol of protection against illness and evil."
"I am confident that our common values and shared interests will continue to unite us."
Buckingham Palace has neither confirmed nor denied the speculation,
but it's not the first time the queen has worn the tiara to a state banquet.
According to Women's Wear Daily, the queen also wore the tiara in 2009 when dining with
Pratibha Patil, who was then the president of India. According to Business Insider,
Patil wasn't well-liked by citizens of the Southern Asia country. While the queen is known
to be politically neutral, it's unclear whether that prevents her from ever throwing shade.
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