Queen Elizabeth II’s best outfits over the years

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September 8, 2022 | 2:01 p.m. | Updated

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Queen Elizabeth II died at her home in Balmoral on September 8, 2022at the age of 96, after a reign of 70 years – the longest in British history.

During Her Majesty’s historic time on the throne, we have seen the style of the monarch change again and again.

From ’50s dresses to ’80s frilly ensembles and colorful woolen coats, the Queen has never failed to make a fashion statement. She once said that “you have to be seen to be believed”, hence her penchant for bright colors that stand out in a crowd. Here we look back at some of Queen Elizabeth II’s most iconic outfits over the years.

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Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, were almost always dressed as children. For this 1936 portrait, the pair wore white ruffles.

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She proudly wore a uniform during her World War II service in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

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The future queen wore a wedding dress designed by Norman Hartnell to marry Prince Philip in 1947.

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Now Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch wore a black veil as she attended the funeral of her father, King George VI, in 1953.

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Her coronation robe, designed by Norman Hartnell, was adorned with national symbols of the United Kingdom and the other countries of which she had become queen.

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She chose a full-skirted blue dress to meet President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie during their 1961 visit to Buckingham Palace.

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Her Majesty wore the dress her granddaughter Princess Beatrice would later refashion into a wedding dress for the premiere of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ in 1962.

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She attended the premiere of “Doctor Dolittle” wearing a fur wrap and a tiara in 1967.

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A photo from 1972 shows the monarch in typical home attire as she worked at her desk in Balmoral, Scotland.

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She wore an ornate dress with a fur cape to the 1973 premiere of a West End show in London.

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Ever a fan of tartan, the Queen smiled in a headscarf and pleated skirt on a day out in Windsor around 1975.

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The Queen gave us a glimpse of what might have inspired ‘Harry Potter’ character Dolores Umbridge as she wore a pink cape to a 1970s equestrian event.

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The 1976 Silver Jubilee gave her the opportunity to release a stunning new robe and royal regalia.

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The monarch wore a pretty turquoise dress and matching hat as she shared a sweet moment with Princess Diana on her wedding day.

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One of his best-known (and most unusual) hats, this purple topper with a spray of feathers was a colorful choice for a 1982 tour of the Solomon Islands.

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During the same tour, Her Majesty wore a blue pleated skirt and matching jacket.

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Her Majesty changed up her usual evening style with this frothy long-sleeved dress for a meeting with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy in 1983.

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She wore a dark black dress to attend Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

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The Queen’s brightly colored and sequined ‘Harlequin’ dress for the Royal Variety Performance in 1999 is perhaps her most controversial outfit of all time.

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It’s rare to see the Queen without one of her colorful coats, but she went jacketless with this drop-waist floral dress for a visit to Jamaica in 2002.

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Her Majesty looked glamorous in white fur and jewels from the royal vault as she attended the official opening of Parliament in 2002.

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Cheerful red and purple was a winning combination for the Queen’s Jubilee Tour.

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For Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011, the Queen chose a sunny yellow coat, matching dress and hat.

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The Queen was known for her love of the headscarf, as seen here in a photo from winter 2012.

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On her Diamond Jubilee, the Queen looked lovely in a backwards saucer hat and a white bouclé coat from her dresser, Angela Kelly.

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For her Trooping the Color appearance in 2016, the Queen chose a lime-colored coat and hat that launched a thousand green-screen memes.

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Her Majesty wore another citrus-hued coat over a purple floral dress for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.

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She teamed a diamond brooch inherited from her grandmother with a black mask edged with white piping for the 2021 funeral of her husband Prince Philip.

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The Queen debuted a stunning new blue coat and hat for her Platinum Jubilee Balcony appearance during Trooping the Color in 2022.

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