Sir Norman Hartnell, 1953 It’s arguably the most important dress Liz has ever worn, so it’s fitting that it took more than six months to make. The rich embroidery and sumptuous fabric is classic Hartnell, but the Queen had her own ideas about what one ought to wear to one’s coronation. She tweaked the design to include emblems from all her realms, not just the countries of the United Kingdom. Hartnell himself added a four-leaf clover for luck.
4 State dinner dress
Hardy Amies, 1979 What to wear when dining in the United Arab Emirates? This diaphanous gown for a state dinner in Dubai respects Middle Eastern modesty conventions. And the colour? The Queen often wears eye-popping shades to stand out. Nobody puts Lizzie in a corner…