Look back at the rainbow-hued wardrobe of Britain's longest-reigning monarch

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Elizabeth was known for wearing colorful outfits
• According to her daughter-in-law, the bold ensembles helped her “stand out for people”
• The late monarch would have turned 100 on April 21, 2026

Queen Elizabeth was known for her standout, colorful ensembles.

The Queen — who died on Sept. 8, 2022, and would have turned 100 on April 21, 2026 — was the longest-reigning monarch of England, serving 70 years on the throne.

Over those seven decades, she wore every color in the rainbow — but her bright outfits weren't just for fun. From her canary yellow looks for trips to Canada and Pakistan to the turquoise number she donned while visiting the set of Coronation Street, every piece she wore served a purpose.

In the 2016 documentary The Queen at 90, the monarch's daughter-in-law, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, explained her choices, saying, "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, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen's hat as she went past."

Look back at the Queen's colorful collection of clothes through the years, in rainbow order.

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1999

Red-y or not, here comes the Queen! The late monarch sported a brick red hue while taking a tea break with hospital staff during her visit to the Manchester Royal Infirmary in October 1999.

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2021

While visiting HMS Queen Elizabeth at Her Majesty's Naval Base (now His Majesty's Naval Base) in Plymouth, England, for the ship's maiden deployment in May 2021, the monarch opted for a red ensemble with a black collar and a matching hat.

She also wore a meaningful accessory: a brooch given to her by her late husband, Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021. The "Scarab" brooch in yellow gold, carved ruby and diamond was a personal gift from Philip in 1966.

03 of 53

2014

Queen Elizabeth donned this deep red ensemble while sharing a laugh with her husband. The two were bidding farewell to Irish President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina after their official visit to Windsor Castle in April 2014.

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2010

Queen Elizabeth stepped out in a gorgeous, deep red tweed number while greeting the Emir of Qatar in Windsor in October 2010.

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2020

The Queen wore this festive red coat and matching hat while thanking local volunteers and essential workers for their work amid the COVID-19 pandemic and over the Christmas holiday in 2020.

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1982

Next to Prince Philip in his whites, the Queen stood out in a red patterned look as the royal pair arrived in Kiribati during a tour of the South Pacific in October 1982.

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1980

Orange you glad the monarch wasn't afraid to wear a bold orange ensemble for Christmas service at Windsor Castle in 1980?

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1985

She wore a similar burnt orange hue while attending a polo match in Windsor in June 1985. This time, she accessorized her ensemble with a scarf.

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1977

Queen Elizabeth matched her pillbox hat to her coat, which was accented with a large brooch, while out in London in 1977.

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1989

The Queen made a statement in a sparkly tangerine evening gown — which she paired with the Belgian Sapphire tiara and the George VI Sapphire suite — aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia for a banquet in Singapore in October 1989.

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1979

The Queen wore a more muted orange ensemble when she attended the Epsom Derby in June 1979 with her sister, Princess Margaret.

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2015

The Queen wore a smile almost as bright as her outfit while attending the QIPCO British Champions Day racing meet at the Ascot Racecourse in October 2015.

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1989

The late monarch dressed for spring in a gingham dress and a matching hat for the recommissioning ceremony of HMS Invincible in May 1989. She added a light orange coat to complete the look.

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2018

To watch her horse Fabricate race at the 2018 Royal Ascot, the Queen opted for a yellow floral dress and a matching bright coat and hat with a blue flower adorning it. The outfit was completed with white gloves and a black handbag and shoes.

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1984

Queen Elizabeth looked cheery in a bold yellow ensemble while visiting Canada with Prince Philip in 1984.

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1997

While touring Pakistan in October 1997, the monarch wore a sunny yellow polka dot number with a matching hat. To show her respect while visiting the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, she wore only socks on her feet and tied a scarf around her hat to cover her hair.

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1975

It wasn't the first time the Queen wore yellow polka dots, as she wore a similar outfit during her state visit to Mexico in early 1975.

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1977

During her Jubilee Tour in the spring of 1977, she wore the pattern again, this time in a slightly muted tone while inspecting troops upon her arrival in Brisbane, Australia.

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2021

The late monarch looked lovely in a green-and-pink floral outfit while attending a Big Lunch reception in June 2021 at the Eden Project in Cornwall alongside now-Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton.

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2021

The Queen ushered in spring in March 2021 when she wore this pastel green outfit, adding yellow lilies to her hat. The service at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Air Forces Memorial in Surrey, which marked the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force, was her first public appearance that year.

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2018

For her first solo outing with granddaughter-in-law Meghan Markle in June 2018, the Queen chose a lime green suit dress by Stewart Parvin with a matching hat adorned with flowers.

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1973

The Queen paired her green dress with a bold hat by Simone Mirman and white accessories for a polo match in Windsor in June 1973.

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1977

For her walkabout in Barbados in November 1977, Queen Elizabeth wore a green patterned dress with pearl embellishments on the shoulders. She completed the prim and proper look with a matching hat and white accessories.

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1980s

While posing for a photo with her many dogs at Sandringham, the Queen wore an emerald green suit dress.

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1952

Decades earlier, in September 1952, the Queen wore a classic sage-green skirt suit while posing with one of her corgis at Balmoral Castle.

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1995

The Queen wore an elegant, sequined forest green gown to celebrate former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 70th birthday in October 1995.

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1954

While touring Australia in March 1954, the monarch donned a stunning green evening gown for an outing at the Government House in Melbourne.

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2021

She wore a similar jade hue while opening the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland, in October 2021.

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2021

The Queen was all smiles in her mint green ensemble while attending the 2021 Royal Ascot in London. (The event's dress code requires hats for women and top hats for men.)

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1987

Rather than red or green, the Queen stepped out in teal for a Christmas Day service at St. George's Chapel in 1987.

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2021

The Queen wore a feather in her cap and a turquoise outfit while visiting the set of Coronation Street — the world's longest-running soap opera still in production — in July 2021.

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1990

While celebrating the Queen Mother's 90th birthday in August 1990, the late monarch wore a bright blue floral print as she stood alongside other members of the royal family, including daughter-in-law Princess Diana and her son, then-Prince Charles, outside London's Clarence House.

33 of 53

2008

It was impossible to miss the Queen during the Trooping the Colour parade in June 2008! She looked lovely in a bold turquoise jacket and hat as she stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with grandson Prince Harry, daughter Princess Anne, son Prince Edward and husband Prince Philip.

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2002

While riding through London in the Gold State Coach during her Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Queen was spotted in a light blue coat and a cobalt hat.

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2021

She wore a cornflower blue ensemble while inspecting members of the armed forces at the Ceremony of the Keys in Edinburgh in June 2021.

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1985

During her official tour of Portugal in March 1985, Queen Elizabeth looked quite serious in a solid blue coat that matched her patterned hat and black accessories.

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1997

She's got her something blue! On the day of her 50th wedding anniversary in November 1997, the Queen wore this bold outfit while out with husband Philip in London.

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1986

The particular shade of blue is a popular one for the late British monarch — they don't call it royal blue for nothing!

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2021

The Queen wore royal blue again while attending a service of Thanksgiving to mark the centenary of The Royal British Legion at Westminster Abbey in October 2021. Her daughter, Princess Anne, also attended, wearing a bright purple ensemble. Both ladies complemented their outfits with black accessories.

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1970

Ahead of the royal family's planned tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970, the Queen sat with one of her dogs for a photo. She looked sharp for the occasion in a dark blue patterned dress, which she paired with pearls and a brooch.

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2017

While visiting the naval base in Portsmouth in December 2017 for the commissioning ceremony of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the late monarch stood out in a brilliant purple outfit.

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2006

In June 2006, she and Prince Philip rode in a horse-drawn carriage during the annual Trooping the Colour parade. Along with her all-purple ensemble, the Queen wore the Brigade of Guards brooch, which combines the badges of the five Foot Guards regiments of the Household Division: the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards.

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2015

This bright magenta outfit, complete with hot pink feathers in her cap, made a statement while the Queen visited the HMS Ocean in March 2015.

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1990

While riding in a carriage with her mother in 1990, the Queen wore a lovely lavender outfit.

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1951

While visiting Malta with Prince Philip in 1951, the late monarch wore a pale purple beaded gown and fur stole. She accessorized with elbow-length white gloves and plenty of diamonds.

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2012

While at the Braemar Highland Gathering in September 2012, the queen shared a laugh with her son King Charles. For the event, which she attended multiple times, the monarch donned a lavender outfit, even matching the ribbon on her hat to her ensemble.

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2021

The Queen posed with former President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle in June 2021, looking ready for tea time in her floral dress and bubblegum pink hat.

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2018

For her visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in London in May 2018, the Queen blended in with the roses, wearing a soft pink cardigan with white trim.

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2021

The late monarch chose a dusty rose coat and matching hat for her trip to open the sixth session of the Senedd — or Welsh Parliament — in Cardiff, Wales, in October 2021.

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1975

While visiting an ancient pyramid during her 1975 state visit to Mexico, the Queen wore a tropical-print short-sleeved dress. She completed the look with a white hat, bag and gloves, as well as black shoes.

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1989

The Queen wore a magenta suit dress while visiting Wales in April 1989, where she was presented with a birthday cake at Powis Castle by the men of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

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2016

The day before her 90th birthday in April 2016, the Queen marked 500 years of the Royal Mail delivery service with this vivid pink look.

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2021

While arriving at Balmoral Castle in Scotland in August 2021, the Queen wore a hot pink coat over a floral dress, accenting her look with brightly colored flowers in her hat.

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