The Royalty Nerd

There are some looks that we recognize immediately from a certain moment in time, a person, or context. And certainly, royalty, as photographed as they are, have been the subject of many of these iconic moments.

So here’s my list of iconic royal looks. Some I think would be widely agreed upon, others, well maybe they’re just iconic to me. Let me know your thoughts below.

Kate Middleton’s Engagement Dress:

Before she was the Princess of Wales, she was Kate Middleton, a girl from Berkshire and an art history student at the University of St. Andrews. Her relationship with Prince William made her the topic of much, much scrutiny and chatter. So it comes as no surprise that their engagement was massive news.

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When the pair stepped out for their engagement announcement, Kate sporting the incredible sapphire ring from her mother-in-law (another iconic piece, honestly) on her left hand, she was wearing an Issa London navy blue wrap dress and suddenly became a style icon.

In my opinion, this dress was the start of something big. Over night, blogs and articles were popping up with ‘repli-kate’ options. Dress like the future princess for less! And Kate’s fashion impact has only continued to grow. But it started with this dress.

Grace Kelly’s Wedding Dress:

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Monaco may now be synonymous with glamour, but during the reign of Prince Rainier III, the Grimaldi family and Monaco’s famous palace were in a state of disrepair. Real life became a blockbuster hit when it was announced that the Prince of Monaco was to marry Grace Kelly, an already established, well known, and famous actress in her own right.

Her wedding dress became the blueprint for brides, royal or not, for generations. Equally modest and stylish, her dress was a dreamy, picture perfect ideal for a princess. The influence of her wedding dress is still felt today (and that will likely become a new post!)

Angela Brown’s Wedding Dress:

Liechtenstein is a teeny tiny principality in the Alps, so it’s no surprise many people haven’t even heard of Liechtenstein’s princely family, never mind Princess Angela. She was born in Panama and raised in the United States, where she worked for many years as a stylist and even had her own label, A. Brown.

When Angela married Prince Maximillian of Liechtenstein in 2000, she became the first woman of Afro-Panamanian descent to marry into a reigning European family.

It’s been reported that while some members of the princely family (and I haven’t seen any details on who exactly), were not happy with the match, due to Angela’s race and the age gap between the two (Angela is about eleven years older than Maximillian), most members were happy for the pair and attended the wedding in New York.

Now here’s why I placed this dress on the list: Angela wore a wedding dress that she designed herself. Iconic, if you ask me.

Princess Beatrice’s Hat:

Coming full circle with the first entry, William and Kate’s wedding was a great day for royal watchers. And when Princess Beatrice of York stepped out to attend her cousin’s wedding, she nearly broke the internet.

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I’m not saying this Philip Treacy hat is nice or appealing because quite frankly, I don’t think it is, although I think the rest of her outfit is gorgeous. However, it must be said that this hat has reached iconic status due to the level of commotion it caused.

The memes, the articles, the news reports, the literal auction it was sold it for a whopping 81,100 GBP. This hat was likened to everything from a toilet seat to a pretzel to a monstrosity.

And unfortunately, Beatrice was ridiculed mercilessly for it, even moving her to tears. Remember, she was only 22 at the time and on the receiving end of a ton of hate for no reason other than she wore a somewhat ugly hat.

Queen Sonja’s Lime Green Dress:

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This is one that I’m not sure many would agree with me, but hear me out.

Queen Sonja of Norway has worn this bright, lime green gown on multiple occasions.

Now, when you’re the queen, you get to stand out. And stand out she does. How many people can rock a lime green ball gown multiple times? Not many. Icon behaviour.

Diana’s Revenge Dress:

I almost didn’t include Diana on this list simply because there are so many lists out there of just Diana’s iconic looks, and the revenge dress features prominantly.

Then I took a moment and thought, hey, if a dress has a moniker attached to it, does that not mean it’s iconic?

Yes, it sure does. So I’m reluctantly adding to the lists out there that feature this look from Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The sheer fact that this dress is so well known that it has it’s own name makes it iconic in my books (and so many others). But I’m going to say something controversial and yet brave: I don’t really like this look.

I’ve always thought this dress looked uncomfortable to wear and something about the tights and bare top seems unbalanced. I think I might like it more if she wore a longer necklace and not a choker. I fully recognize that most people do not agree with me and that’s okay.

Whether you love it or you lean more to my side of things, the revenge dress is certainly icon status worthy.