Which royal is the most powerful fashion influencer of all time?
In the run up to the much-anticipated nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Markle's wardrobe has become a source of fashion inspiration for many. From a tricolour bag by British brand Strathberry that sold out 7 minutes after she was pictured in it, to a simple knit by M&S that triggered a spike in sales, there's no denying the 'Meghan Effect' is real.
The Duchess of Cambridge and her style choices have had a similar response; 'Repli-Kates' were inspired by her Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton wedding dress which saw lace-sleeved dresses become a popular choice once again, and there's no doubting that the design Markle chooses will do the same.
While they're both currently front and centre thanks to a certain baby and wedding ceremony, the Duchess and her soon-to-be sister in law are just a few of many British royals that have influenced fashion from as far back as Queen Alexandra, the stylesetter of the Edwardian era. Queen Elizabeth II is now synonymous with bright separates, and the late Princess Diana with power blazers and LBDs, all of which are now staples in the modern woman's wardrobe thanks to their enduring style appeal.
Lyst, the global fashion search engine, has examined the fashion trends which Britain’s royal women have given us over the past century, from statement sunglasses to colour-pop coats, all made famous by royal women and still popular today.
So what did each of the 7 most influential royals bring to the fashion table, and who can be credited for impacting our wardrobes the most?
Princess Margaret
Avid fans of Netflix’ The Crown will know all too well of Queen Elizabeth’s younger sisters penchant for slim cat-eye sunglasses. While you’d be forgiven for thinking the style was made popular in most recent years by the likes of Gigi and Bella Hadid, they date back as far as the 1950s, when Princess Margaret was often spotted sporting them with a beehive hairdo and Dior gown.
Lyst has found searches for such styles to be up 71% on last year, proving that the Princess’s quirky accessory is still popular.
However, her love of interesting accessories didn't end there; She was also known to belt her dresses and coats, emphasising her trim waist and cinching in oversized silhouettes. In recent seasons Gucci's classic GG logo belt has been more popular than ever, with Lyst searches for belts in general up 34% year on year.
Princess Margaret style best looks fashion
The Duchess of Cambridge
While ditsy floral prints by the likes of Orla Kiely and Erdem may spring to mind when you think of the Duchess, it’s her activewear choices that have the biggest influences on our own wardrobe, according to Lyst.
Her love of skiing and tennis has offered up ample opportunity over the years to showcase a host of sports-specialist brands, such as Monreal London and Nike. Lyst notes that searches for the activewear brand, Perfect Moment, rose by 390% in the 48 hours after she wore one of its ski jackets last year - even in Australia, where it was the height of summer at the time.
Duchess of Cambridge: every outfit ever
Queen Elizabeth II
If you’re one that can’t be steered from monochrome and considers navy a dabble in colour, look to the Queen for inspiration. Her Majesty has created a signature look which is recognised the world over, choosing bright colour-block outfits for the majority of her engagements in recent years.
Her perfectly coordinated separates have seen her become an undisputed style icon, with searches on Lyst for block coloured suits up 89% in the last year. Recent interpretations of the Queen’s majestic colour block look include bright suiting on the spring/summer 18 catwalks at Paul Smith, Joseph and Tom Ford.
92 years of style: look back at The Queen's glorious fashion evolution
The Queen Mother
Unlike her daughter Queen Elizabeth II, the late Queen Mother was known to favour heavily embellished pieces complete with beading , feathers and embroidery.
Today, occasionwear labels such as Needle & Thread specialise in decorated mid-priced gowns, not dissimilar to that of the Queen Mother’s own wedding dress to marry the then-Prince Albert in 1923. Her silk-crepe pearl and silver embellished dress featured a drop-waist, which at the time, was the height of fashion having been introduced a few years earlier by Coco Chanel.
Meghan Markle
While she’s been acclimatising to British life, Markle has nailed the perfect outerwear for right now; the bride-to-be favours a ‘power coat,’ regularly opting for structured longline jackets, complete with belts and prints.
She shone a light on Line The Label, the Toronto-based fashion brand behind her Invictus Games trench coat and the chic belted white coat she wore for her engagement photographs. The latter subsequently caused the brand's website to crash within hours.
Similarly, when Markle wore a tartan check coat by Burberry on a visit to Edinburgh, searches for Burberry coats soared by 120% in the following 48 hours. While there’s no doubting Markle’s current power as an influential style setter, will her fashion legacy be as enduring as other royals on this list? Watch this space.
Meghan Markle: best looks
Princess Charlotte
While the youngest Princess only turned 3 yesterday, she is already making waves in the fashion industry, proving the next generation of royals also wield significant influence. The Princess favours charming little smock dresses in traditional, vintage-inspired prints, with dozens of brands benefitting from a sales boost after Charlotte has sported one of their pieces. According to Google trends data, searches for British childrenswear designer, Rachel Riley, rose by 149% following the Royal Family’s tour in Berlin when Princess Charlotte wore a blue dress by the brand.
While her youngest brother Prince Louis is estimated to bring a staggering ￡50 million sales boost to the economy in his first year of life alone, Charlotte is the only girl of her siblings, and there’s no doubting her sweet dresses will inspire children’s wardrobes for years to come.
Princess Diana
'The People's Princess' as she was dubbed, has been named the most influential royal so far, according to Lyst's research. The late Princess Diana dabbled in many fashion trends, from polka dots and little black dresses, to skirt suits and pearls; all items which are still replicated and associated with her today.
Nicknamed 'Dynasty Di,' her signature look consisted of a blazer with large lapels, a pencil skirt and sheer tights, which are all commonplace on a Balmain or Saint Laurent catwalk today.
She was named as the inspiration behind Virgil Abloh’s spring/summer 18 collection, where 'Diana' pieces such as power shoulders, double-breasted blazers and sleek skirts, took centre-stage. It was confirmation that Diana's fashion legacy has the power to provoke obsession as much now as it did twenty or thirty years ago.
