The unlikely new style icon of the Royal Family
Move over Meghan and Kate, there is a new royal style icon stealing the sartorial spotlight. She may shun the media but there is no denying her fashion prowess.
Entertainment
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Move over Meghan and Kate, there is a new — and unlikely — royal style icon.
Princess Anne might have a reputation for being the hardest working royal — with 518 official engagements last year alone — and for shunning the glitz and glare of the media in favour of the stables, but as viewers of the latest season of hit Netflix drama The Crown can attest, there is no denying her fashion prowess either.
In the latest episodes of the decorated drama, which chronicle the extraordinary reign of Queen Elizabeth II during the mid-1960s through to the late 1970s, fans have not only been treated to Princess Anne’s trademark sass and feistiness, but also her fashions, with a full gamut of glamorous looks from her iconic wardrobe on display.
While she has often been overlooked — and indeed overshadowed in the style stakes by Diana,— there is no denying that Princess Anne, who turns 70 next year, was once one of Britain society’s most sought-after beauties.
Now, her timeless style has finally been honoured in her on-screen wardrobe with some of the most important plot points of the season centred around the princess, played by British actor Erin Doherty.
From psychedelic and punchy floral prints, to mini-dresses, double-breasted coats and sharp checked suits, along with chic flares and riding boots — perfect for stomping through Buckingham Palace — each look is complemented with her signature locks teased into voluminous waves and up-dos. Her tresses, of course, remain a trademark today, with her hair-sprayed halo.
It helps too that Anne’s ‘60s and ‘70s fashion heyday has come full circle – The Telegraph applauding Anne’s ability to “play the fashion long game” with her ‘70s style now on trend again while Vogue and Hello! magazines have compiled a roundup of her most noteworthy royal ensembles; W magazine have called her a “modern fashion icon hiding in plain sight” and Vanity Fair has asked should “Princess Anne have been our favourite royal all along?” in light of The Crown’s third season.
And while it’s hard to say whether her embroidered Tudor-style wedding dress with high collar and dramatic, medieval-influenced, trumpet sleeves will make a comeback for brides, designers should look no further for classic, timeless inspiration this season than Anne’s ensembles.