Popsugar Fashion Celebrity Fashion Queen Elizabeth's Life in Fashion Queen Elizabeth II Leaves Behind a Historic Fashion Legacy 13 September 2022 by Victoria Messina First Published: 22 July 2019 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on 8 Sept., as announced in a statement released by Buckingham Palace. The long-reigning monarch was placed under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle, and passed away in the presence of her loved ones — including Prince Charles who is now King Charles III. In 1952, at age 25, she ascended to the throne following the passing of her father, King George VI. During her decades-long reign, she consistently used fashion to express her personality and, to some degree, to reflect the state of the monarchy. The Queen had a penchant for making vibrant, cheerful fashion statements, which she often chose with great intention. Royal biographer Robert Hardman reportedly said: "My favourite remark she ever said was: 'I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am.'" According to former royal butler, Paul Burrell, the majesty's residence top floor was solely dedicated to storing her clothes. The outfits had to be brought down to her, so she didn't see her wardrobe with the clothes in it. As he told Yahoo's Royal Box, "Her dresser will bring down two outfits in the morning, which are sketched with pieces of material clipped to them so that the Queen can remember whether it's silk or cotton or wool." Once she selected an option, it would be brought downstairs for her, meaning she never actually saw her wardrobe in its entirety. Considering Elizabeth's affinity for brightly coloured outfits, it's likely that the wardrobe itself was filled with a rainbow of options. It may have also been full of handbags from one of her go-to designers, Launer. Below, take a walk down the Queen's sartorial memory lane. From a bright blue gown during her meeting with JFK to bright pink on her way to a banquet, celebrate Queen Elizabeth's best fashion moments from over the years. — Additional reporting by Shelcy Joseph Related: Queen Elizabeth II Dies at Age 96 A Newly Engaged Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten (Later Prince Philip) in 1947 Image Source: Getty/Central Press 1 / 42 Princess Elizabeth of England and Prince Philip on Their Wedding Day in 1947 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 2 / 42 Princess Elizabeth of England and Prince Philip in Malta in 1951 Image Source: Getty/Hutton Archive 3 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburg Before Her Coronation in 1953 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 4 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the London Palladium Royal Variety Performance in 1952 Image Source: PA Images/Getty Images 5 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Ascot in 1954 Image Source: Getty/PA Images 6 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Wellington at Wellington Town Hall in 1954 Image Source: Getty/Fairfax Media Archives 7 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at a Performance of 'Les Girls' at Leicester Square's Odeon in 1957 Image Source: Getty/PA Images 8 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II in Ottawa, Canada in 1959 Image Source: Getty/Mirrorpix/Freddie Reed 9 / 42 The Late President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy Visited the Queen in 1961 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 10 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the 'Lawrence of Arabia' Premiere in Leicester Square in 1962 Image Source: Getty/PA Images 11 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1962 Image Source: Getty/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive 12 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1964 Image Source: Getty/Central Press/Hulton Archive 13 / 42 The Queen During a Visit to Malta in 1967 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 14 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II Being Shown Around the 'RMS Queen Elizabeth 2' in Southampton in 1969 Image Source: Getty/Central Press/Stringer 15 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II and President Richard Nixon at Buckingham Palace in 1969 Image Source: Getty/Wallt McNamee 16 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II Attending a Premiere in The West End in 1973 Image Source: Getty/Tim Graham 17 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the Windsor Horse Show in 1975 Image Source: Getty/Derek Hudson 18 / 42 The Queen During a Royal Tour of Japan in 1975 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 19 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II With a Group of Local Children in Mexico in 1975 Image Source: Getty/Serge Lemoine/Singer 20 / 42 Queen Elizabeth at a Formal Event in Canada in 1976 Image Source: Getty/Anwar Hussein 21 / 42 Queen Elizabeth with President Urho Kekkonen in Finland in 1976 Image Source: Getty/Anwar Hussein 22 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II During a State Visit to Bangladesh in 1983 Image Source: Getty/Tim Graham 23 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II with George Burns, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and Dionne Warwick in 1983 Image Source: Getty/Anwar Hussein 24 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at Barbican Hall in 1990 Image Source: Getty/John Shelley Collection/Avalon 25 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II with George Bush at the White House in 1991 Image Source: Getty/JEROME DELAY/AFP 26 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II in Blois, France in 1992 Image Source: Getty/Tim Graham 27 / 42 The Queen And Prince Philip at A Banquet During An Official Tour Of Hungary in 1993 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 28 / 42 Queen Elizabeth in Pakistan in 1997 Image Source: Getty/Anwar Hussein 29 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at Devon's Royal Marines Commando Training Centre in 1998 Image Source: Getty/David Mchugh/Stringer 30 / 42 The Queen at the Royal Variety Performance in England in 1999 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 31 / 42 The Queen at the Millennium Bridge in 2000 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 32 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the first of her Annual Garden Parties in 2001 Image Source: Getty/Tim Graham 33 / 42 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Royal Variety Performance in Liverpool in 2007 Image Source: Getty/David Munn 34 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at the Presidential Palace in Slovakia in 2008 Image Source: Getty/Anwar Hussein 35 / 42 The Queen at the Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 36 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Cambridge in Nottingham in 2012 Image Source: Getty/Phil Noble 37 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II Leaving the Christmas Day Service at Sandringham Church in 2014 Image Source: Getty/Chris Jackson 38 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II Watching Her Horse 'Fabricate' at the Royal Ascot in 2018 Image Source: Getty/Max Mumby 39 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II Visiting London's Science Museum in 2019 Image Source: Getty/Karwai Tang 40 / 42 Queen Elizabeth II at The Royal Windsor Cup 2021 Image Source: Getty/Max Mumby/Indigo 41 / 42 Prince Charles and The Queen at Platinum Pageant in 2022 Image Source: Getty / Max Mumby / Indigo 42 / 42 Celebrity FashionThe RoyalsThe British RoyalsQueen Elizabeth II