The Most Iconic Outfits Queen Elizabeth Ever Wore

“If I wore beige, no one would know who I was,” Queen Elizabeth famously once said. As the world comes to terms with her death, let us look back and remember something at which she always excelled: fashion. During her 70-year reign, the Queen became a style icon. She lit up many events with her colorful outfit choices, and we’re going to celebrate 40 of the most iconic ones!

1. In the pink

Princess Elizabeth was born in 1926 and spent her childhood with sister Princess Margaret, mother Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and her father Prince Albert, Duke of York, later to become King George VI. Here is a picture of the girls with their mother in Windsor’s Royal Lodge garden. The pink-and-white dress sported by Elizabeth is simply darling, and her smile is very genuine — she reportedly had a very happy childhood.

2. Give us a cuddle

It’s hard to say which is the cutest element of this photo — a young Princess Elizabeth in her dress with white frills, or the loveable mutt enjoying her snuggles! This pic was taken in 1936 and the animal is either Jane or Dookie — the first two corgis the royal family owned. The story goes that a family friend had a corgi in 1933 and Elizabeth loved it. She then begged her father to get her one!

3. Ready to ride

This incredible window into the past finds the Queen as a ten-year-old equestrian wearing full riding gear. Her lifelong love of horses began when she was gifted a Shetland pony at only four years old, and over the years she would own hundreds of horses. It’s easy to see how at ease she was around the animals, even as a child.  

4. Birthday hug

This portrait — which was taken on April 17, 1940, for Princess Elizabeth’s 14th birthday — was intended as propaganda. The cutesy image of Elizabeth and her nine-year-old sister Margaret in white frilly dresses was supposed to warm the hearts of the British public while the country was embroiled in war. The dresses are relics of a bygone era, but are undeniably emblematic of children’s clothing at the time.