On Sunday, March 31, the British royal family will walk from Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel to attend a traditional Easter service. It’s still unclear who will be in attendance as King Charles and the Princess of Wales are both undergoing treatment for cancer. And while Charles is expected to make an appearance, Kate Middleton is thought to be spending the holiday privately as she focuses on her recovery. (Indeed, reports say that the Princess recently left her home of Adelaide Cottage in Windsor for their country estate in Norfolk.)
For decades the Easter appearance in Windsor has been an annual tradition, as the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom is also the supreme governor of the Church of England. (King Charles’s official title? “Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”) Attending mass on a high holy day is very much part of the job.
And when the Windsor’s do something in such public fashion, they also do it in great fashion. Throughout the decades, everyone from Princess Diana to the late Queen Elizabeth has worn colorful springtime outfits to St. George’s complete with statement hats. (The Queen, in particular, committed to bright hues during her reign. Doing so made her always visible to the crowds. “I have to be seen to be believed,” she once said.) The Wales family, meanwhile, has always shown an aesthetic infinity for various shades of blue—a patriotic color that’s part of the Union Jack. Over the last few years, Kate Middleton has worn designs by Emilia Wickstead, Catherine Walker, and Alexander McQueen.
Then there’s Diana. In the ‘80s and early ’90s, she often accented her outfits with black trim or accessories—a color choice that was fashion-forward compared to the pastel suits that were often favored by royal women at the time.
Below, see the royal family’s most stylish easter outfits throughout history.
