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Another expert hand that creates for the queen is Stewart Parvin, a designer in the classic British style who holds a royal warrant. From floral pinafores as a princess, to bedazzled ball gowns as a newly crowned queen, to the joy-inspiring rainbow wardrobe in later life, Queen Elizabeth II served fashion, as well as her country.
On 2 June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey before a global audience of 20 million people. For many households, the coronation brought television into the home for the first time. What they witnessed was the pinnacle of costume drama as a 26-year-old woman pledged her life to the service of the nation. The Coronation Kelly is widely known as the queen's closest confidant and holds the distinction of being granted permission by the monarch to publish two books about her work, her boss and her wardrobe. Cecil Beaton, who captured the official coronation portraits, described how the combination of sumptuous gown, ceremonial robes and Crown Jewels imbued her with a "Byzantine magnificence." But such opulence was not purely gratuitous. Throughout history it has served an important constitutional purpose: to reinforce the status of the monarch and distinguish them from the people and palaces that surround them. The Queen’s clothes needed to ensure she looked as she should: like a Queen. Couture QueenA master of championing great British design, Queen Elizabeth II always enjoyed displaying the works of great homegrown couturiers. It was Norman Hartnell who designed her silk duchesse wedding gown, which she paid for using ration tokens as other brides in her country did in the wake of World War II, and her stylist Angela Kelly often designed her outfits when attending events. The Vogue study also found that the least worn color in the queen's wardrobe was beige, accounting for just 1 percent of the wardrobe total for 2012. The queen's rainbow colored wardrobe has won the acclaim of the fashion press over recent years. In 2012, the diamond jubilee year, British Vogue charted all of the monarch's outfits and found that her most worn color was blue—making up 24 percent of the outfits she had worn on public outings.
Over the years, the Queen proved adept at deploying her clothes in the interests of soft diplomacy. The queen's accessories have become iconic pieces in themselves. The most famous of these are her handbags. Her wardrobe staples – hats, gloves, handbags, court shoes – remained constant throughout her reign and recalled the sartorial conventions of a bygone era. They also constituted her work wear, signalling she was on duty.Angela Kelly writes that "colour is key" to the queen's wardrobe, "though—the chosen colour must suit." Hats were also an integral part of the Queen’s wardrobe. Marvellous millinery from Rachel Trevor-Morgan would usually be found atop of her majesty’s head, when she wasn't wearing a crown of course. In her final decade, Elizabeth II remained closer to home. US photographer Annie Leibovitz photographed the Queen on two occasions. The spectacular portraits of the first sitting presented a monarch of Hollywood dreams. The second, by contrast, revealed the Queen off-duty in her favourite tartan kilts and tailored tweeds, surrounded by family and dogs at Windsor Castle. It was a pertinent reminder that behind the carefully stage-managed façade was a woman, wife and mother most at home in the countryside. James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family and royal fashion. He has covered contemporary and historic issues facing King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana. James joined Newsweek in 2022 having previously contributed to titles such as The Lady, Majesty Magazine and Drapers. He also spent a number of years working with the curatorial department at Historic Royal Palaces, based at Kensington Palace, and contributed to the exhibitions Fashion Rules: Restyled (2016) and Diana: Her Fashion Story (2017). He also undertook private research projects with the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection. He is a graduate of University College London and Central Saint Martins, where he studied fashion history. Languages: English. The supplier of the queen's bags is the family-run British brand Launer London and the monarch owns many of their most famous styles in a variety of colors.
Written by the Waterstones Children's Book Prize-winning Julia Golding, The Queen's Wardrobe is full of fascinating stories from the long life of our record-breaking Queen. The detailed and colourful artwork from bestselling Kate Hindley shows what it's really like to grow up as a princess.According to Kelly, a royal outfit could have a 25-year lifespan. After two or three public outings, a piece would be modified or retired to the Queen's private wardrobe. Always thrifty, the Queen liked her clothes "to be adapted and recycled as much as possible", Kelly wrote. The Queen prioritised visibility in her fashion choices, recognising that when she was in public, she was always on display. Queen Elizabeth II's rainbow wardrobe helps her to be easily spotted amongst a crowd. Photographed (L) at a Commonwealth Games event, October 7, 2021. (C) in Norfolk, December 21, 2017. And (R) at Royal Ascot, June 19, 2021. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The Silhouette
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