Queen Elizabeth II once famously said: “I have to be seen to be believed,” referring to what it was like being a living link to centuries of tradition. Over the course of her 70-year reign, this shaped every element of her wardrobe, from her coronation gown in 1953, to the Imperial State Crown resting on her coffin in Westminster Hall.
Queen Elizabeth II dies — follow the latest news as the world mourns
As a young woman, the queen was dressed by Sir Norman Hartnell, who also dressed her mother. He created her 1947 wedding gown that, in post-war Britain, was made from satin she bought using ration coupons. He also made her coronation gown from ivory silk that at Elizabeth's request was hand-embroidered with emblems from every country she would represent.
Only 26 when she acceded to the throne, Elizabeth had to always convey a sense of regal timelessness. Her sister, Margaret, in contrast, was free to pursue a love of fashion, including Dior's New Look of 1947. Elizabeth's dresses could only gently nod to such trends, and so over the years, she developed her own signature style. By not chasing fashion or trends, she managed to transcend both and create a lexicon of her own.
In turn, this became something of a uniform — the ultimate in power dressing. Always in bright colours, to ensure she could be easily spotted, the look was always a dress or separates with a matching hat and coat.
The hemline always fell to just below the knee and the hat was always off the face. She was always finished with white gloves, a framed bag by Launer and sensible shoes by Anello & Davide, reportedly broken in for her by a member of her staff. Every look was accessorised with an heirloom brooch on her left lapel and a three-strand necklace of pearls.
While the colours have become steadily brighter over the decades, reaching almost neon tones in the last 15 years or so, they have never tipped into being garish. Even lime green felt remarkably normal when teamed with the matching hat, coat and that familiar handbag.
Little wonder then that we were all so charmed, when, during her platinum jubilee celebrations, she revealed to Paddington Bear that she used her ever-present handbag to safely store her marmalade sandwiches.
Acutely aware of the power of her clothes, for a her visit to Ireland in 2011 — the first by a British sovereign in more than a 100 years — the queen understood she needed to strike the right note to move on from Ireland's brutal treatment by the British. To do this, she chose to wear a shade of green, that while not emerald, played homage to the nation's famous colour.
In February 2018, she made a surprise appearance at London Fashion Week, sitting front row at the Richard Quinn show, next to Vogue editor Anna Wintour. On her own blue velvet cushion (the rest of the audience sat on bare benches), the queen was there to present Quinn with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Wearing duck egg blue, Wintour complimented the queen's unique style as being an "iconic uniform suggesting continuity and tradition.”
Speaking at the time, Caroline Rush from the British Fashion Council, welcomed the Queen, saying: “Your Majesty, I know you do not wish to be known as a fashion icon, but from all of us in this room, we have the utmost respect for you and also your hard work and diligence.“
The uniform that Wintour described was so well choreographed that when it rained, the Queen carried a transparent umbrella with trim to match her outfit of the day. Nothing was left to chance.
For the past 30 years, the queen's clothes have been designed by Angela Kelly, her personal dresser, who replaced Saville Row tailor Hardy Amies, who in turn took over from Hartnell. Always mindful of the moment, in 2019, the queen announced, via Kelly, that she would no longer be wearing fur.
Of course, the true power of the queen's wardrobe was for formal evening occasions, where she favoured full length, often in pale colours. For state occasions, or hosting dinners for visiting dignitaries and heads of state, she let her jewellery do the talking, arriving in a gown, sash, long gloves and priceless tiaras, necklaces, brooches and bracelets.
Hartnell once said of the queen and the queen mother that neither wanted to be regarded as ”fashion setters”, and instead were "content to leave that to other people with less important work to do.”
Of course, in reality, Queen Elizabeth II created an entire identity through her clothes, providing an unfailing consistency that — for the millions who never met her — made her as familiar as one of their own.
Scroll through the gallery below for more images of Queen Elizabeth II over the years
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RESULTS
Men – semi-finals
57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.
67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.
60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28
63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.
71kg – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28
81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27
86kg – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 100 ) US$175,000 1,200m
Winner: Baccarat, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (78-94) $60,000 1,800m
Winner: Baroot, Christophe Soumillon, Mike de Kock
7.40pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 $200,000 1,600m
Winner: Heavy Metal, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.15pm: Handicap (95-108) $125,000 1,200m
Winner: Yalta, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm: Balanchine Group 2 $200,000 1,800m
Winner: Promising Run, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,800m
Winner: Blair House, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (95-105) $125,000 1,400m
Winner: Oh This Is Us, Tom Marquand, Richard Hannon
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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More coverage from the Future Forum
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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