Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, after 70 years on the British throne. As the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history, her choice of tailored and sensible separates in bold and piercing colors cemented the Queen as a style icon.
With a wardrobe encompassing the whole rainbow, Queen Elizabeth never shied away from a statement hue. The monarch displayed a penchant for regal ensembles with timeless silhouettes, upping the ante with high-octane tones. Always polished and streamlined, the late monarch incorporated bright pops of color throughout her reign, displaying her playful side with inventive millinery, and printed silk scarves, without ever diverging from her elegant ensembles.
There was a reason the Queen loved bright and monochromatic looks — it was to catch the eye of her adoring public. From hot pink to lime green, Her Royal Highness found that searing colors made it easier for her to be spotted in large crowds.
According to Today, royal expert Daisy McAndrew said of the Queen earlier this year, “She’s quite small – so sometimes she’s quite difficult to spot – so her dressers decided some years ago that it would be helpful if she was brightly colored so that people could spot her easily.”
In Welsh journalist Sali Hughes’s 2019 book Our Rainbow Queen, Hughes notes Her Majesty’s color wheel choices came out of respect for those who went out of their way to set their sights on their Queen.
As the most photographed woman in history, Queen Elizabeth II has trusted British designers Norman Hartnell, Stewart Parvin, Hardy Amies, and more with curating her royal style. Angela Kelly worked as the Queen’s sartorial advisor for over 30 years — dressing the monarch in her bright hues, pearl necklaces, whimsical hats, and shimmering statement brooches and jewels.
From her pink on pink ensemble at her Silver Jubilee in 1977 to her 2018 pistachio-colored coat and frock by Stewart Parvin and matching embellished hat by Kelly for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Royal wedding, the Queen has always known how to make a bold (and bright!) sartorial statement.
