The style legacy of royal women runs deeper than crowns and coronations, because they didn’t just dress for the throne – they dressed to inspire, to influence, and to express their individual identities.
Across centuries and continents, we spotlight the fashion-forward royals who set trends that echoed far beyond palace walls.
From Elizabeth I’s towering ruffs to Queen Victoria’s braided buns, from Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur’s stylish saris to Kate’s high-street chic and Meghan’s ethical must-haves, we reveal how royal wardrobes became canvases of self-expression that sparked some of fashion’s most iconic moments.
Marie de’ Medici, Queen Consort of France and Navarre
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Draped in pearls, opulent corsets and voluminous skirts, Marie de’ Medici was not only a well-dressed Florentine noblewoman turned Queen Consort of France, but also a fashion pioneer credited with popularising the Medici collar.
This dramatic, halo-like ruff of Venetian lace, satin and jewels elegantly framed the face in dazzling opulence, as immortalised in Rubens’ portraits, and unlike the stiff, fully circular ruffs of the late 16th century, the early 17th-century style soared behind the head, fanned open over daring décolleté necklines, helping to reshape French court fashion in the image of Italian baroque theatre.
Queen Victoria
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Reigning for more than six decades, it’s little wonder the “Grandmother of Europe” refreshed her style from time to time, but when she did, her choices influenced thousands.
Her decision to wear a white silk and lace gown when marrying Prince Albert in 1840 sparked the bridal tradition that still endures; before Victoria, brides typically wore their best dress, often in practical, darker shades of black, grey or brown. She also made braided buns and centre-parted plaits the height of respectability across Europe, with countless middle-class women quick to copy the style, while she and Albert’s love of Scotland revived tartan, weaving it into fashion and the interiors at Balmoral and beyond.
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar
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The flawlessly glamorous Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has become one of the most photographed women in the Gulf, renowned for a distinctive style that fuses cultural tradition with haute couture.
Consort of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, her wardrobe is built around architectural gowns, couture turbans, and sculptural tailoring, often created in collaboration with houses such as Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel and Dior. By blending Western luxury with Middle Eastern modesty, she has redefined what modern elegance can look like.
Queen Alexandra
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Bringing fresh glamour to the British court in the 1860s after years of Victoria’s sombre mourning, Danish princess Alexandra arrived like a breath of fresh air when she married the future King Edward VII. One of her enduring style legacies was the choker, whether a simple velvet ribbon, a silk scarf, or multiple rows of pearls. But while society women rushed to copy her look, few realised that Alexandra wore them less as a fashion statement and more to discreetly conceal a small scar on her neck.
Farah Pahlavi, Empress of Iran
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A queen of blending Western couture with Persian-inspired textiles and jewellery, Farah Pahlavi, the last Empress of Iran, became a darling of Parisian couturiers such as Dior, Givenchy and Courrèges during the 1960s and 70s.
She was equally known for her love of tiaras, the most famous being the dazzling Noor-ol-Ain Tiara, set with one of the world’s largest pink diamonds. By fusing heritage with luxury fashion, Farah crafted a unique regal style that not only inspired countless others but made her one of the best royals ever.
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
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Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the youngest daughter of Rainier III and Grace Kelly, was a royal trendsetter like no other. Dubbed “Monaco’s wild child”, she swapped tiaras for boxy leather jackets and couture gowns for ripped denim, embodying a fearless 1980s androgyny that fused menswear tailoring with sultry, punkish glamour.
Her slicked-back hair, smoky eyes and boldly painted lips became iconic beauty signatures, while her foray into pop music and the launch of her own swimwear label, Pool Position, proved she was more than a royal style muse.
Diana, Princess of Wales
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From shy fairytale bride to flawless fashion darling, Princess Diana’s wardrobe was packed with unforgettable style crushes. Her 1981 Emanuel wedding gown, with its billowing sleeves and record-breaking train, remains one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time, while she dazzled in the midnight-blue Victor Edelstein “Travolta dress”, and Catherine Walker’s pearl-encrusted “Elvis dress”.
By the 1990s, Diana embraced sleek skirt suits for charity work and off-duty athleisure that still inspires today, but her most defining look came in 1994: the daring black Christina Stambolian “Revenge Dress”, a statement that not only signalled independence but encouraged generations of scorned women to get their own back, by looking fabulous.
Queen Rania of Jordan
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What do you get when royalty meets glamour meets effortless elegance? Queen Rania of Jordan. With her signature glossy, flowing waves, polished poise, and enviable wardrobe choices, the gorgeous Queen Consort has become nothing short of a global style icon.
Most notably, her looks blend modesty with modern luxury, favouring monochrome palettes, bold prints and razor-sharp tailoring, while spotlighting innovative Middle Eastern designers alongside the world’s leading fashion houses.
Queen Anne of Austria
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Born a Spanish Habsburg (the Austrian-origin dynasty that ruled Spain’s vast empire from 1516 to 1700) and married to Louis XIII in 1615, Anne of Austria was no stranger to splendour and clearly was not afraid to bring it with her to the French court.
Her love of jewelled stomachers, puffed sleeves and ermine-lined mantles, often embroidered with fleur-de-lys, defined courtly fashion in the 1620s and 1630s. Immortalised in Rubens’s portraits, her style fused Spanish formality with French opulence, laying the groundwork for a Bourbon aesthetic that would ripple across Europe for generations to come.
Queen Letizia of Spain
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Delivering a masterclass in modern power dressing, the Queen of Spain has elevated diplomatic dressing to a whole new level, because before marrying King Felipe VI in 2004, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano was an award-winning journalist and news anchor.
While she may have stepped out from behind the news desk, her sharp, professional aesthetic featuring structured blazers, sleek sheath dresses, tailored trousers and crisp blouses has seen her become the one making fashion headlines. What’s more, she’s a staunch supporter of Spanish designers and hasn’t become so lofty as to forget the appeal of high-street brands, just as happy to be pictured in couture by Felipe Varela as she is in accessible pieces from Mango and Zara.
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France
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Love or hate her, Marie Antoinette was a woman who knew how to dress. From her gravity-defying pouffe hairstyles to her sigh-worthy romantic gowns, the last Queen of France practically turned the mirrored halls of Versailles into a fashion catwalk, and as such, undeniably claims a place among history’s most infamous style icons.
Though often ridiculed for extravagance, she was a true influencer when it came to fashion and taste. One must-have garment she is famed for popularising among both the rich and the aspiring was the chemise à la reine, a soft muslin gown that replaced stiff, uncomfortable corsetry. Initially dismissed as scandalous, it soon sparked a new era of relaxed women’s dress, and for that, women everywhere had reason to be thankful.
Catherine, Princess of Wales
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Trendsetting royals, you ask? Few names come quicker to mind than Catherine, Princess of Wales. Blending regal polish with accessibility, she is admired for pairing designer labels with high-street finds and for championing sustainable re-worn looks that have made her relatable and influential worldwide.
Moving effortlessly from blazers, jeans, and heels to her signature A-line midi frocks and coat dresses, Kate can pull off many looks, including cottagecore, an aesthetic that romanticises simple, pastoral living, giving her style both charm and modern relevance. Together, this enviable mix of curated clothes has sparked the “Kate Middleton effect,” where her outfits sell out instantly. Royal trendsetter indeed.
Queen Mary of Teck
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As consort to George V from 1910 to 1936, Queen Mary of Teck shaped the image of the modern queen through her commanding style and love of jewels. By pairing heirloom tiaras, necklaces, and brooches with opulent silks and satins, she established the “uniform” of the British royal family, setting dress codes and expectations that influenced generations of royals.
But all this bling wasn’t just for show; it was for sending a message. Allegedly, she used fashion as a strategic tool not only to set standards for how royal women should present themselves, but also to demonstrate how royal families use style to communicate with their publics.
Empress Michiko of Japan
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Empress Michiko of Japan has helped turn hats into high fashion. Known for her love of lightweight saucer designs with origami-style bows and folded details, she redefined imperial style with grace and ingenuity. Married to Emperor Akihito in 1959, she has long favoured soft tones, kimono touches, and refined tailoring, but it’s Michiko’s delicate yet distinctive aesthetic that set a new standard for Japanese court dress, proving subtle elegance can be every bit as trendsetting as extravagance.
Isabella I, Queen of Castile, León, and Aragon
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Turning her court into a centre of fashion and influence in late 15th-century Europe, Queen Isabella I of Castile was known for a look that was as godly as it was glamorous. To create this balance of power and piety in her style, she used rich fabrics, like those used for her cloth-of-gold gowns (extravagant dresses woven with actual gold thread), ermine-trimmed cloaks and jewelled headpieces, but used austere cuts and designs, modesty veils, and sombre colours to project both majesty and religious devotion.
The Spanish farthingale (a hooped underskirt giving gowns a cone-shaped silhouette) appeared in her court under her reign, and costly black dye became a symbol of refinement and authority. Altogether, her look helped to shape the distinct “Spanish style” that influenced European fashion for generations.
Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of the French
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An ultimate influencer, Napoleon I’s wife Joséphine de Beauharnais set the tone, Parisian style! As Empress from 1804, she defined the Empire look: high-waisted, Grecian-inspired dresses in light muslin, often white or lighter shades.
She made Kashmir shawls, tiaras and cameos must-have accessories, revived French silk through patronage, and essentially created softer, freer silhouettes that were like a breath of fresh air after the stiff, stuffy codes of pre-revolution France.
Queen Sirikit of Thailand
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Collaborating with Pierre Balmain and the royal court in the 1960s, Queen Sirikit spearheaded a fashion revolution that transformed traditional court dress into enviable contemporary pieces, creating eight outfits known as Thai Phra Rajaniyom.
The stylish set, comprised of the finest Thai silk, covers everything from day to state events: Ruean Ton (smart day look of a plain collarless blouse and ankle-length skirt), Chitlada (formal day look with finer fabrics and ornamental details), Amarin (evening wear), Boromphiman (formal evening, fitted blouse and skirt), Chakkri (very formal, one-shoulder shawl), Dusit (cocktail or evening, sleeveless bodice), Chakkraphat (state ceremonies, richly decorated shawl), and Siwalai (formal attire with shoulder sash). Queen Sirikit was, in fact, so fabulously fashionable that she topped the International Best Dressed List in 1965, and in 1976 ensured her legacy and that Thai artisans would always be championed by founding the Support Foundation.
Queen Elizabeth II
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Queen Elizabeth II achieved many, many great things during her 70-year reign, and being a fashion icon was undoubtedly one of them. Bright, colour-blocked coats with matching hats may have made her easy to spot in a crowd, but the technicolour silhouette became a signature many wanted to emulate. With one of her beloved Launer handbags hooked over her arm, gloved hands, pearls around her neck, and a carefully chosen brooch, her majesty turned practicality into power dressing with a rainbow palette that brought joy to everyone who was lucky enough to meet her.
Theodora, Empress of the Byzantine Empire
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Although born a commoner, Theodora quickly took to life as empress consort of Justinian I in the 6th century. With her image forever immortalised in the San Vitale mosaics, she dazzled in imperial purple, a dye reserved for royalty, wearing a silk dalmática (long, wide-sleeved tunic), with gemmed hem, wide maniakis collar, and a crown that positively dripped with pearls.
Theodore’s love of splendour not only redefined the empress’s role, setting high standards for Byzantine court dress, but influenced later rulers who went to great lengths and cost to imitate her jewelled aesthetic.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
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Love her or loathe her, there is no denying Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is a royal trendsetter on a whole other level, with the “Meghan Effect” showing no signs of waning! The moment she steps out in a piece, it sells out. Fast.
From Strathberry bags snapped up worldwide in minutes to Mother Denim jeans needing to create a (4,000-strong) waitlist, her choices ignite shopping frenzies. With a love of neutral palettes, monochrome polish, and timeless silhouettes in natural fabrics, Meghan blends luxury with ethical, independent labels, redefining royal style as sustainable, minimalist chic.
Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria
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Renowned for her beauty, Elisabeth, a Bavarian duchess by birth who later married Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, cultivated an iconic look: impossibly cinched waists and elaborate hairstyles, which she loved to adorn with diamond stars. Obsessed with exercise and maintaining a youthful appearance, Elisabeth, or Sisi as she was known, embodied a cult of ethereal femininity that not only captivated 19th-century Europe but helped to set beauty ideals that lingered well into the modern age.
Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French
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Collaborating with the world’s first true couturier, Charles Frederick Worth, Eugénie de Montijo, the Spanish-born, glamorous wife of Napoleon III helped launch the golden age of haute couture and cemented Paris as the epicentre of style.
Fashion houses courted her patronage, knowing her choices set trends across Europe, and thanks to the Empress of the French, the steel crinoline, a hoop-like cage contraption, made vast skirts the defining silhouette of the 1850s and 60s.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
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Blending Scandinavian minimalism with regal polish, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has become a modern style icon, admired in the Nordic region and far beyond. A champion of Danish and sustainable labels, she favours soft florals, fluid lines, and relaxed tailoring, looking flawlessly feminine whether she’s in floaty dresses or glamorous pantsuits. Ultimately, her trendsetting style proves that elegance can be responsible, while power dressing can be graceful.
Wallis, Duchess of Windsor
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Though people loved to hate Wallis, it didn’t stop the American socialite, who married Edward VIII after his abdication in 1937, from shaping mid-century style. And while she may never have become queen, she was a queen of fashion, favouring sleek tailoring, bias-cut gowns, and a minimalist palette that inspired high society and beyond. Working with designers like Mainbocher and Schiaparelli, Wallis became a muse and amplifier of trends, proving less could be more, with clean lines and impeccable fit replacing frills and an excess of fabrics.
Queen Elizabeth I
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Inheriting her mother Anne Boleyn’s flair for drama and passion for continental fashions, Elizabeth I’s wardrobe was no mere vanity project, but political theatre! Towering ruffs, jewelled gowns, flame-red wigs, lead-based white face powder to mask smallpox scars, and ropes upon ropes of pearls all played their part as she used dress as propaganda to craft an image of opulence and virginal majesty so potent it still shapes our idea of queenship today.
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
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Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, or perhaps better known as the Queen Mother, came into her own during World War II, with a wardrobe that became a symbol of reassurance, relatability, and maternal strength. Clad in soft pastel dresses, pearls, and flower-trimmed hats, she projected calm and warmth amid crisis that inspired others to follow suit. But perhaps her most enduring fashion legacy lies in her love of wide-brimmed hats, so iconic it’s impossible to picture her without that twinkling smile beneath one.
Mary Queen of Scots
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Raised in France, Mary, Queen of Scots returned home in 1561 with the farthingale, a stiffened underskirt that gave gowns a dramatic cone shape that set the court ablaze with untamed fashion envy. But her most powerful style statement was mourning dress: from the white deuil blanc worn after Francis II’s death to the black velvet gown she chose for her execution. Complete with pearls, veils, and a symbolic red petticoat, Mary turned sorrow into statement-making stagecraft.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
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While Queen Elizabeth II ruled the waves, her younger sister Princess Margaret commanded the fashion pages, revelling as the monarchy’s ultimate style rebel. In the 1950s, she dazzled in Dior’s New Look with cinched waists and full skirts, and later embraced cat-eye sunglasses, statement belts, daring minis, and show-stopping jewels. Embodying bohemian high society, Margaret proved royals could be fashion icons in their own right, inspiring designers, photographers, and headlines across decades.
Catherine de Medici, Queen Consort of France
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Although married off to France’s Henry II, Catherine de’ Medici never forgot the Florentine fashion world she grew up in, sweeping Italian innovations into the French court like a breath of fresh air. She popularised corsets that cinched the waist and introduced perfumes and heeled shoes as the must-haves of the mid-16th century. While often remembered for her political manoeuvring, Catherine also inspired a regal silhouette that set the blueprint for European dress for centuries.
Cleopatra VII, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt
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As the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra VII, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, became an enduring symbol of allure and power, famed for her alliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony and later immortalised in multiple works of art, from literature to paintings, sculpture to film.
Though she didn’t invent one specific trend, her image of kohl-rimmed eyes, elaborate wigs, and jewel-laden collars defined how we picture ancient queens, echoing through centuries and still inspiring fashion, hair, and beauty today.
Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur
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Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur was a royal style icon who globalised the chiffon sari. Born a princess of Cooch Behar and later Jaipur’s queen, she favoured pastel chiffons paired with pearls, emeralds, and oversized sunglasses, a look that fused Indian tradition with jet-setting glamour. Frequently photographed by photographers for Vogue and Life magazines, she popularised elegance through simplicity and made the sari a symbol of cosmopolitan sophistication.
Princess Caroline of Monaco
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Part of Monaco’s royal fashion dynasty, Princess Caroline, the eldest daughter of Rainier III and Grace Kelly, became a lifelong muse for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. She embodied Parisian chic, wearing couture with effortless ease, and through her visibility helped spotlight French fashion on the global stage. Bridging runway and palace, she proved royals could be couture’s ultimate ambassadors, while her enduring presence on fashion’s front row solidified her legacy as the true style heir to her mother’s trend-setting throne.
