Queen Elizabeth is no slouch at the whole keeping calm and carrying on thing, and that decidedly British spirit shines through her clothes. In her first public engagement since COVID isolation, the Queen stepped out in a positively delightful all-pink ensemble that has Fixed Everything.
No, seriously. People really loved this look. “With a knack for picking just the right lipstick to lift the nation, Her Majesty The Queen’s pink makeup moment is a welcome sight,” the Telegraph read.
“Her Majesty The Queen’s uplifting colourful ensembles are definitely on the list of things we have missed since lockdown began,” the Evening Standard reported.
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A Grazia reporter wrote that the bright jacket was “a mood booster” and compared the 94-year-old monarch to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another woman who also wears pink from time to time.
All in all, Queen Elizabeth looked very regal—as she tends to do. The only thing missing was a rose-tinted face mask, as many pointed out on Twitter, though social distance was apparently maintained during the appearance.
The Queen understands the power of a good photo opp, and she’s dressed accordingly during every stage of her life. As a teenager, she suited up in a uniform while serving in the women’s branch of the British Army. Her 1953 coronation tour included over 1,000 outfit changes, centering her as a new leader for a country in need of a restart.
These days, the Queen leaves the youthful dressing to her grandchildren and their wives, but she still demands attention with the vivid colors she’s fond of wearing. It is a strategic choice as much as it is sartorial.
As Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, said in the documentary The Queen at 90, “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen.’ Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.”
And so the Queen has a bit of monopoly over lively clothing when it comes to how the royal family dresses.
Trooping the Color, a ceremony that celebrates her birthday and is usually a huge to-do in London, looked different this year and took place in her backyard at Windsor Castle. Not quite modest by our plebeian normal standards, but pared down for the Queen. Even during that socially distant ceremony, she showed up in a dazzling seafoam green. (It was the same outfit she wore to meet Donald Trump and Melania at Buckingham Palace during their state trip last year.)
Mid-July, Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a small, private ceremony in Windsor. The Queen beamed, standing sfeet away from the newlyweds, in a powder blue suit.
In April, the Queen ran a televised address to the nation acknowledging the coronavirus crisis, and quoting the wartime standard, “We will meet again.” She did so in a deep green top and matching brooch. It was a serious statement, but the clothes were optimistic.
This year has deprived us of many things, including Queen Elizabeth’s standard wardrobe. But in typical Greatest Generation spirit she has made the most of her few outings. The people have spoken: more pink from the Queen, please. Luckily, she seems more than happy to oblige. And so our spirits are raised.
