The seven style stages of Queen Elizabeth

telegraph.co.uk:

the Queen was showing the world how it was done. A sovereign who has often found herself the only woman in rooms full of men and whose reign has seen trends for flares, boob tubes and miniskirts come and go several times over, one of Elizabeth II’s great accomplishments is, surely, her iconic style.Her opinions are rarely heard, but her image can be recognised from a mile off, becoming synonymous with everything from colour-blocking to silk headscarves and frame handbags. ‘The Queen has a mind of her own.

Just as she fell in love as a teenager and made a clear choice about who she wanted to marry, so she has decided how she should look,’ says Justine Picardie, the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar.Indeed, the Queen has mastered the ultimate style aspiration: to be so sure of and comfortable with your own look that you appear entirely at ease.

But it hasn’t always been easy. From childhood, Elizabeth II has navigated dressing for her remarkably long reign. Here are the seven stages of her style.The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, by Bethan Holt, is out on 19 April (Ryland Peters & Small, £18.99).

Order your copy from the Telegraph Bookshop.Just as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis set childrenswear trends now, from the day she was born – 21 April 1926 – parents around the world looked to little Elizabeth for inspiration.‘Many poor gentlewomen have profited by the Duchess’s order for fine lawn and muslin frocks, little bonnets and jackets, and all the delightful accessories of baby’s toilet,’ read one report, while her mother, then the Duchess of York, joined the debate about whether infants should be dressed in cotton or wool, coming down firmly on the side for ‘frilly babies’ in cotton over.