Whether she was dazzling at a state dinner or meeting subjects during a royal engagement, the Queen’s wardrobe was vibrant, timeless and always perfectly coordinated.
Preferring classic pieces that could be re-worn time and time again, the Queen’s style didn’t change much over the course of her adult life as she continued to step out in her favourite designers from the 1950s until her death.
It was announced today that Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, ending the longest reign of any British monarch.
Whether she brightened up the day in a canary yellow ensemble or showcased the latest trends in glamorous green, the monarch could always be relied upon to offer a masterclass in colour-block dressing – often complete with matching hats by Phillip Somerville and bespoke Fulton umbrellas.
Her Majesty’s loyalty was also reflected in her commitment to her favourite brands: she only carried Launer handbags – the £1,850 ‘Traviata’ style in black was her favourite – and wore trusty slip-on leather shoes by Anello & Davide for over 50 years.
Other staples of the monarch’s wardrobe from her reign included gloves by Genevieve Lawson, statement pearl earrings and necklace, and lavish brooches.
Here, FEMAIL take a look at the Queen’s style through the years…
Whether she was dazzling at a state dinner or meeting subjects during a royal engagement, the Queen’s wardrobe was vibrant, timeless and always perfectly coordinated (pictured, on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace as the troops march past during the Queen’s Birthday Parade in June 2022)


Whether she brightened up the day in a canary yellow ensemble or showcased the latest trends in glamorous green, the monarch could always be relied upon to offer a masterclass in colour-block dressing – often complete with matching hats (left, in Switzerland in 1980 and right, visiting Westminster Abbey in 1992)


Her Majesty’s loyalty was also reflected in her commitment to her favourite brands: she only carried Launer handbags – the £1,850 ‘Traviata’ style in black was her favourite – and wore trusty slip-on leather shoes by Anello & Davide for over 50 years (pictured left, in November 2010 and right, in 2001)

The monarch continued her statement style in her final royal appearances before her death (pictured, in June 2022)

Queen Elizabeth II, who is pictured leaving Windsor Castle to head to Balmoral in Scotland in July in one of her final appearances in public, has died today at the age of 96
HANDBAGS
The classic totes come with a price tag of up to £1,650 but were worn again and again by the monarch, who recycled them for engagements and even had the fittings repaired rather than splashing out on new models.
It has been said that the Queen owned over 200 bags from Launer, with her favourite style being the Traviata, a £1,850 bag made from calf leather and finished in black patent, which has unsurprisingly, become the brand’s biggest seller.
She also owned several different versions of the Adagio in black and patent cream, both £1,300, the Bellini, costing £1,250, the Royale, sold at £1,650, the Lulu in cream, priced at £740, and the Encore handbag in black calf leather.
The monarch liked their practicality — simple designs in classic colours with a solid frame and easy-access clasp — as well as their quality.


Her Majesty accessorised with the same bag while wearing a bright red outfit in the 80s when she visited St Anne’s Church In Kew (left). The monarch, wasn’t without her trusty Launer handbag in an official family portrait released to mark the new decade. Pictured, with Prince George, Prince Charles, and Prince William,
The secret to their longevity is their ‘turned’ edges, a process that involves moulding the ends of the leather so they are attached on the inside of the bag. Each of the Queen’s designs was, as one might expect, bespoke.
‘I saw her with an old one with a metal-plate structure. She keeps all the bags and even all the Queen’s Mother’s bags,’ Gerald Bodmer, CEO of Launer London, told the Mail Online back in 2016.
‘It’s amazing how they last. They’re structured, that’s our strength.’
Gerald often spoke to the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly, reportedly one of the Queen’s closest confidantes, to ensure his designs suit the monarch’s signature look that consisted of a bold coloured outfit with a monochrome bag.
Her Majesty also knew exactly what she wanted from her bags and when she ordered a new design, she asked for customisation.
Gerald said she often asked for ‘the handles longer,’ so the handbag didn’t get in the way while shaking hands.
The Queen also wanted ease of opening, which meant no shoulder bag or zips.
But for some special occasions, the company would make a bag smaller, such as the Lisa design, priced at £930, that the Queen accessorised with for William and Kate’s wedding in 2011.
He added that for the Queen’s petite proportions, it was important she had a smaller bag because it wouldn’t have looked right for her to wear a ‘blooming great thing’.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Gerald also revealed that in more recent years, he made his designs lighter to make them ‘more comfortable’ for Her Majesty.
Bodmer explained that Her Majesty’s dresser Angela Kelly ordered what she needed every year, and pointed out that it was very important to both women that her trademark bags were made in the UK.

The Queen also donned her trusty bag alongside German president Walter Scheel in May 1978

Meanwhile the Queen Queen was seen carrying her trusty Launer when she attended a ceremony to mark the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior ahead of Remembrance Sunday at Westminster Abbey on November 4, 2020

Recently, she placed a Launer bag over her arm as she arrived at a Service of Thanksgiving for Britain’s Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in central London on March 29, 2022
He previously revealed the monarch didn’t ‘feel fully dressed without her handbag’, admitting: ‘If the Queen doesn’t like what we’ve made her, she won’t wear it. She definitely knows what she wants.
‘We tend to work on a bag we already have, then personalise it with what Angela knows the Queen wants, or for specific engagements she may have.’
The accessory was even prominently on display in the latest series of The Crown, sparking a 600 per cent traffic increase to the Launer website a day after its release.
Margaret Thatcher, played by Gillian Anderson in the Netflix hit, was also a huge fan of Launer bags and is regularly seen clutching a neat black leather tote in the show.
The Crown’s costume department reportedly visited the Launer showroom to handpick four styles for Anderson and Olivia Colman’s characters to carry in the show.
Viewers see Thatcher entering 10 Downing Street for the first time in 1979 carrying a black Olympia, as she did in real life, while the Queen has a Bellini on her arm while watching Diana Spencer select her engagement ring.
The latest series spans the late Seventies and 1980s, during which time the brand’s priority was to ensure the Queen and Thatcher never had the same design.

The Queen carried near-identical versions of the very same bag for more than 60 years – and the accessory is prominently on display in the latest series of The Crown (pictured)
‘Years ago, I met a guy, a small manufacturer, who did designs for The Queen… and he told me once that Mrs Thatcher and the Queen had the same item and Mrs Thatcher was furious. Luckily, we didn’t have that problem,’ Bodmer told the publication.
He recalled how Launer cemented its status as a household name when Her Majesty carried a customised version of its Lisa bag to the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
Having seen it dip in popularity, in the weeks after the nuptials sales rocketed by 60 per cent.
‘That really set us off, it completely lifted us,’ Bodmer said.
Following this, the brand attracted a new wave of younger fans around the world – aided by its website and new array of colourful designs – though its classic black remained the Queen’s favourite.
‘Twenty years ago, if we had anyone under 55 buying we thought we were lucky,’ Bodmer told the Telegraph. ‘But we’re getting a lot of younger people buying now.’
The Queen paid a visit to the Launer factory in Hackney in 1991, before it moved to Walsall in the West Midlands, and spent an afternoon watching the bags being made.
Founded in 1941 by Sam Launer, a Jewish refugee from Prague, Launer started life in a workshop in the heart of Soho.
The brand soon acquired a reputation for exquisite craftsmanship and Harrods began stocking his bags, while the firm also made leather goods for design houses such as Gucci.
The Queen Mother bought her first Launer bag in the Fifties and gave one to her daughter, who found them to be the perfect size to loop over her arm during walkabouts. She bestowed the Royal Warrant on the company in 1968.
But despite continuing royal support, Launer’s fortunes began to wane — it simply wasn’t modern enough to attract new customers. It wasn’t until Bodmer bought it in 1981 that it came back from the brink of collapse.
Bodmer, a classical clarinettist turned leather salesman, had set up his own company in the late Sixties, supplying bags for Russell & Bromley and Mappin & Webb. Dressed in a Savile Row suit, with a smart documents case under his arm, he set about deploying his charisma to woo a new clientele.
When war broke out in the Falklands, Bodmer spotted a cartoon depicting Baroness Thatcher whacking Argentina with her bag.
He sent it to her, along with a new handbag. ‘She wrote to thank me,’ he said. ‘And a few weeks later, her shopper appeared in our showroom.’
THE SAME SHOES FOR 50 YEARS
The Queen has worn the same style of shoe for the past 50 years, handmade for her by Anello & Davide of Kensington, West London, from the finest calf leather, usually in black patent with a brass clasp or a small bow.
Accompanying her everywhere from Ascot visits to her Diamond Jubilee pageant, she worked her way through hundreds of almost identical pairs over the years but circulated about ten pairs at any one time — including plain black leather, black patent, white leather and beige leather, and three designs of evening shoe in satin, silver and gold.
The trusty patent leather slip-ons, which cost around £1,000 per pair, featured a chunky and 2¼ inch high heel, with a raised insole to give the royal size 4s an added lift in the arch. However, if the Queen was likely to be walking on uneven surfaces, the heel would often be lower.


The Queen on a visit to RAF Benson in Oxford in 1984 (left) and right, visiting the children’s charity Coram in London on December 5, 2018

The Queen’s trusty Anello & Davide heels served her well throughout her reign
The team worked from a wooden ‘last’ made from measurements of the Queen’s foot, and included a pattern cutter; a clicker, who selected the leather; a closer, who sewed the upper part and added stiffeners; and, finally, a maker, who added the sole and heel on the last.
A fitting at the Palace following, where any final adjustments, including a clean and polish, were made, before the shoes were officially ready for an outing.
Stewart Parvin, who designed dresses for Her Majesty for over a decade, claimed that the shoes had to be immediately comfortable and that to achieve this, a member of staff with the same size feet would walk up and down palatial corridors for her until they were suitably broken in.
Parvin commented: ‘The Queen can never say: ‘I’m uncomfortable, I can’t walk any more.’ ‘
Dressers Kate or Beverley also reportedly used wooden shoe stretchers to make them more comfortable, while the monarch’s devoted personal assistant Angela Kelly occasionally wore them in because they had the same size feet.


Derby Day in 1990, and the Queen is being blown about (left) — but the shoes keep her steady. Then in 1993, (left) glancing down at her feet — yes, the shoes are still the same— at Sandringham at Christmas time
Meanwhile, a junior staff member ‘Cinders’, who was the same size exactly, wore beige cotton ankle socks when testing the Queen’s shoes, and was only allowed to walk on carpets. The shoes then got one trial run outside to ensure there was no slippage.
Footmen Ian and William were responsible for everyday care, including polishing and storage.
When the Queen had returned from an engagement after wearing her trusty shoes, they would then be aired on shoe trees, before being stored individually in silk or cotton drawstring bags.
Speaking on why Her Majesty would opt to wear the same shoe, Karine Laudort, Fashion Expert Commentator, told Femail it’s likely all down to practicality and giving a subtle hint of thriftiness.
It is easier to stick to a style that is practical and neutral.’ she explained. ‘It is well known that the Royal Family observe strict fashion rules which no-one can bend especially when it comes to footwear.


The Queen is seen wearing her beloved black slip ons, left as she visits a dairy farm in Lancaster in 2015, and right to mark the Global Investment Summit on October 19, 2021 in Windsor

Queen Elizabeth II talks with Jonathan Jones, Chair of Trustees during a visit to officially open the new building at Thames Hospice on July 15, 2022 in Maidenhead
‘Only closed-toe shoes are permitted and open-toe shoes considered as unformal wear and inappropriate for wedding occasions.’
And when it comes to picking out the said shoes, it’s much easier to go with neutral colours such as nude or black as they’re likely to match most outfits.
‘It is always be easier to match outfits with very neutral footwear, especially when several outfits are required during public functions, and that applies to men and women in the Royal Family, even the Queen.’
She added that it’s also a handy way of not appearing too extravagant, rather than debuting a new pair of on-trend shoes for every engagement.
‘In order to maintain a more humble public image, irrespective of whether Royals wear designer outfits at times, neutral footwear will always be the way to go,’ she said.
COLOUR BLOCKING
For the past few decades, the Queen has been inspiring the nation with her royal wardrobe and her love of colour blocking became as well-known as her beloved Launer handbag and trusty Anello & Davide shoes.
Not one to shy away from a bright and eye-catching ensemble, Her Majesty could more often than not be seen donning head-to-toe fuchsia or the season’s ‘It’ shade of blue.
For the last three decades of her life, most of these delightfully bright creations were the work of her personal dresser Angela Kelly, who became a confidante after joining the palace in 1994.
A ray of sunshine, the monarch brightened up an otherwise dreary day in bright yellow coordinating dresses, coats and hats – including the stylish out she wore for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.


The Queen’s love of colour blocking became as well-known as her beloved Launer handbag and trusty Anello & Davide shoes. Pictured, left: in Italy, May 1961 and right: During a Royal visit to the Isle of Wight in 1965
She stuck with the same colour theme when she attended church at St George’s Chapel, Windsor in April 2018 and when she arrived at Royal Ascot in 2019 – a bold colour which was certain to make her stand out from the crowd.
That same year, the monarch paired a black evening bag, kitten-heel loafers and leather gloves with a vibrant electric-orange coat for a visit to London’s Science Museum.
Meanwhile, green was always another popular colour of choice. In fact, the Queen recycled a turquoise coat and matching hat for the third time whne she marked her official birthday with a socially-distanced and scaled down version of Trooping the Colour at Windsor Castle on 13 June 2020.


The Queen was known for her love of bold colours but often relied on a similar silhouette for different coats and garments. Pictured left in December 2020 and right, arriving at Balmoral in 2021
Her Majesty was first pictured wearing the ensemble for day one of the US president Donald Trump and First Lady Melania’s three-day State Visit to the UK on June 3, 2019.
The royal then donned it for a second time at the State Opening of Parliament in December – following the Conservative party’s victory in the general election.
Elsewhere, in December 2020, the Queen thanked the nation’s key workers for their relentless efforts to keep the country going amid the pandemic in a bold red coat and patterned scarf – not forgetting her timeless black accessories.

Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by The Earl of Wessex, stood out in orange as she attended a special ceremony on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace to launch the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay in 2021

Queen Elizabeth II arrives to symbolically lead the lighting of the principal Jubilee beacon in Windsor, England, Thursday June 2, 2022
HATS
The Queen was renowned for wearing pretty hats with feather details, while they also matched the colour of her outfits.
Working during the Eighties and Nineties, Phillip Somerville was one of the Queen’s favourite milliners and at one stage was making up to 50 hats a year for the monarch, who famously never went without one.
His creations were ‘safety-proofed’ against sartorial disasters caused by heavy wind or rain. It was usually a case of using two hatpins, he once said.
The son of a cobbler who grew up in Winchester, he once said of the Queen: ‘People say, ‘What does she do with all those hats?’ Wear them out, I say. They get damaged and they wear out. She’d possibly wear hats at least ten times, and that’s a long time. Most people would only buy a hat and wear it once and then they put it away in a box.’


Working during the Eighties and Nineties, Phillip Somerville was one of the Queen’s favourite milliners and at one stage was making up to 50 hats a year for the monarch, who famously never went without one. Pictured, left wearing a black-and-gold outfit with a matching Philip Somerville hat, during a visit to the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, 14th October 1989 and right: Her Majesty visiting 5th Airbourne Brigade Regiment in a hat By Philip Somerville on 17 May, 1990
He also revealed that the monarch’s head was ‘slightly smaller’ than average, about 22in in circumference – the average head being 22.5in.
Royal milliners collaborated closely with the Queen’s dress designers to achieve a closely coordinated look.
They were sent sketches and fabric swatches of every new outfit before attending the first fitting. Fitting sessions, by Mr Somerville’s account, were relatively informal, partly thanks to his cheerful nature and occasionally disarming frankness.
‘Often I’ve put something on Her Majesty’s head and said, ‘Oops, I don’t like that, that’s not right’,’ he once said. ‘I don’t think she’s ever been used to that.’

Her Majesty wearing a hat by her favourite designer when she opened the newly refurbished Ministry Of Defence building In Whitehall, London on Apr 27, 2015
HEADSCARVES
Her collection of glittering jewels is the envy of monarchs around the world, but for informal occasions the Queen long favoured a rather more low-key accessory: the silk headscarf.
Over the years, Her Majesty amassed a collection of silk designs that would be the envy of any globe-trotting fashionista.
The Queen often opted for headscarves for sporting and outdoor events and seemed to have one to match every outfit.


The Queen seemed to have headscarves to match every outfit. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Andrew at the Badminton Horse Trials in Gloucestershire, 1973 and right: at Royal Windsor Horse Show, 1989


Queen Elizabeth II smiles with delight as she watches the carriage driving championships during a visit Sunday to the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1995 (pictured, left and right)
Her collection included graphic 1960s prints, paisley prints, traditional florals and even a dog-patterned number in a nod to her beloved pets.
As well as bringing a touch of character to any outfit, the headscarf also served a practical purpose, protecting the Queen’s carefully coiffed hair from the wind, rain and snow.
Hermes was Her Majesty’s favourite brand, and she also had some pieces by Cornelia James, the designer who made her gloves.
While the headscarf was once considered to be an outdated accessory, it has since graced the catwalks of Stella McCartney, among others.


Her Majesty donned a floral headscarf when she attended the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show in Windsor, west of London, on May 10, 2019

Meanwhile the Queen wrapped a colourful headscarf over her hair as she attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2022
A typical Hermes scarf costs from £295, although the Queen’s vintage pieces are likely to have accumulated value over time – just like the brand’s iconic handbags.
During the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2017, the royal wore three silk headscarfs in as many days – including a cream and blush pink scarf with a floral design, complete with delicate leaves and berry-coloured blooms – a print by Tunisian-born Hermes designer Leila Menchari.
On the first day of the annual event, the Queen sported a festive floral number with a bold pink rose print and check detailing, another Leila Mancheri design, while she also opted for sunny yellow, grey and navy blue piece, again by high-end designer Hermes.
GLOVES AND UMBRELLAS


Poise in turquoise: At a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace in July 2011, and right, no blue sky for tennis in Surrey on 29 March 2007
Along with Her Majesty’s colour-coordinated outfits came the perfectly matching see-through umbrellas made by Fulton in London’s East End, which she had commissioned – so the public could see her.
‘We get the colours pretty spot on,’ Nigel Fulton previously told Mail Online.
Regular ‘Birdcage’ umbrellas are available in a selection of colours on the high street for just £16 but to make sure that she had the exact shade, the Queen’s stylist would send swatches of her planned outfits to the brolly brand six months in advance.
Originally invented in the 1960s by Fulton’s founder, Arnold Fulton, and now upheld by his son and Fulton Chief Executive, Nigel, the signature Birdcage umbrella features an advanced, strengthened fibreglass frame with a unique opening mechanism.
The Queen is believed to have inherited her interest in the brand from the Queen Mother.
In 1988, the Queen Mother’s secretary called up Fulton in search of a clear, dome-shaped umbrella, but the style had gone out of production due to a decline in sales.
However, Fulton were keen to help with the Queen Mother’s request and eventually, they were awarded a Royal Warrent.
By 2003, they were supplying tailor-made umbrellas to the Queen and the umbrellas have since been seen on the arms of The Duchess of Cornwall and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Meanwhile, Genevieve Lawson is the woman responsible for fulfilling Her Majesty’s glove orders, who has been a loyal customer since her wedding in 1947, when dress designer Norman Hartnell ordered a pair of plain white cotton gloves for her going-away outfit.


The monarch and her yellow-trimmed umbrella as she arrived at the Garrison in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on 28 June 2010 (left) and right, coordinating in blue during a visit to Wallets Marts in Castle Douglas in Edinburgh, Scotland on 14 July 2010 and right:


The Queen wearing Genevieve’s gloves at the wedding of Lady Tamara Grosvenor and Edward van Cutsem, November 2004 (pictured, left) and right: The monarch waves to the crowds from the balcony on Buckingham Palace during the Trooping of the Colour outside Buckingham Palace on June 14, 2008 in London
Genevieve previously said: ‘It is always the same: evening gloves in nylon, not silk, because it’s lighter, and cotton day gloves in a length made specially.
They are six inches from thumb to cuff — just long enough to protect the Queen’s wrists.’
All materials are made in Britain, a factor that has helped maintain the royal patronage. The leather is from Pittards in Yeovil, and the cotton from W. Ball & Son’s Yorkshire mill.
‘The Queen has always been very loyal. And it helps that she has model hands. Tiny!’ she added.
Her Majesty, known for thriftiness, extends that quality to her gloves, too, revealed Genevieve.


Pictured, left to right: Queen Elizabeth waves in her gloves at Ascot in June, 2011 and right, on April 1, 2011, in Anglesey, Wales
‘She reuses them and sends them back for repairs instead of buying new ones.’
Cornelia James’s classic cotton gloves cost £35, but Genevieve charged her royal client the trade price – about a third cheaper.
While Genevieve was responsible for the designs, her husband Andrew was in charge of cutting and book-balancing. An old Singer sewing machine was used for stitching.
Three ladies from the nearby village also gave the Lawsons, who have run the family company since Genevieve’s mother died in 2000, a helping hand.
Cornelia was an Austrian Jewish design student who fled from the Nazi regime in 1939 and arrived in Britain, where she quickly captivated the fashion world with her affordable, colourful designs.
‘When Mum passed away, it was up to me to keep the family tradition going. I was an art student and always loved design,’ said Genevieve.
Andrew, who was then working in the City, was enlisted for his management skills. When Cornelia was at the helm, the Queen’s tastes were even more conservative. It took some persuading to coax her from favoured black and white.
It was only when her late dressmaker Ian Thomas complained that monochrome gloves would ruin an outfit he’d made for a trip to Paris that she wore colour.
Orders were placed from Buckingham Palace by her meticulous dresser Angela Kelly.
‘We get a call every so often for a dozen gloves, usually before a foreign tour,’ Genevieve revealed in 2012.
‘Nothing passes her by. Even though we charge only trade prices, they went up a few years ago. You can be sure she noticed!’