The Eventful Years

In unstable times the Queen is a constant presence

Fashion trends have become less predictable as global events have influenced style to an extent not experienced in decades: witness the boom in leisurewear during the lockdown years, while climate change awareness, rising living costs and looming recession have seen the trend for upcycling, recycling and buying secondhand rocket. We look beyond the catwalks for inspiration – via the internet and social media, anyone can become a fashion icon if they get enough views, while celebrity style is instantly accessible at the click of a mouse. Against this shifting background the Queen remains a constant, reassuring presence.

The decade began with two royal visits: Canada in 2010 and Ireland in 2011. Ever the dignified ambassador, the Queen used her wardrobe to pay tribute to her hosts, referencing the national emblem in a beautiful white gown strewn with sparkling maple leaves and donning a red and white ensemble on Canada day, accessorised with the maple leaf brooch given to her mother in 1939. In Ireland, she arrived in an emerald coat and hat and graced a State Dinner in a white Angela Kelly creation adorned with silk shamrocks.

Major events took place with the wedding of William and Catherine Middleton in 2011 and the Diamond

Jubilee River Pageant in 2012. In TheQueen:70 Years of Majestic Style Bethan Holt describes the Queen’s Jubilee outfit of white tweed featuring sparkling diamanté and threads of silver and gold. “The Queen’s look for the day was a suitably elevated version of the sleek uniform that Kelly had by now established for her. In fact, she looked rather sparkling and diamond-like herself, in a design inspired by

Elizabeth I.”

The Queen faced her biggest challenge and greatest sadness with the death of her beloved husband in 2021. Let’s hope the forthcoming Platinum Jubilee celebration sees her return to sparkling form.

“She looked rather sparkling and diamond-like herself, in a design inspired by Elizabeth I”