by While the Princess of Wales is naturally admired for her sartorial choices, there is another member of the Royal Family who regularly proves to be a style icon: Princess Anne.
It was a case in point this week, as she stepped out to participate in Sri Lanka, which was practical, appropriate and, needless to say, chic in its own unique way.
It all started when she boarded her commercial flight (tick!) carrying her beloved Longchamp Le Pliage suitcase (often photographed with her on these trips).
Dressed in a cream colored prince suit, with a tailored blazer and loose fitting trousers, she looked ready for business, yet comfortable at the same time. The IS pièce de résistance of the appearance? Her royal blue blouse with an oversized collar was right on trend – a stunning color that reminded us of a retro Prada outfit.
“The main thing to remember is that it’s very intentional,” explains author Rosie Harte. The Royal Wardrobepublished last summer.
“When you look at other royal trips in recent years, that step off the plane is a big time to set the tone for what that member of the Royal family intends to get out of the that journey, and how they need people. to see them, especially back home. That’s why they board outside, not inside the airport, so there are as many people and cameras as possible.”
So what does Áine’s look mean? She is here for business, of course. No-nonsense, as always.
The 73-year-old wore the same look to her first engagement of the day, adding a stud and accessorizing with Adidas sunglasses. “On other royal tours you might see other members of the family change their appearance to suit the occasion, but Anne doesn’t,” continues Harte. “That’s really to emphasize how much she’s doing in one day.”
In fact, the USP of the Royal Princess is that she is the hardest working person, and has more commitments than other members of the family year after year, so it is not surprising that the time for her to change.
Her evening engagement – a reception with the Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe – required more formal attire. She dressed for the occasion in a colorful long-sleeved printed shift dress, something of Anne’s signature look, which she paired with pearl jewelery (including a three-strand necklace believed to have belonged to Queen Elizabeth II) and a white scarf . and gloves.
The last item – opera gloves – may seem like an odd choice to many, but again it’s an example of Anne being on trend by accident. Although the Princess Royal probably wears them for etiquette reasons – her late mother was rarely seen without her gloves – they are extremely cool among Gen Z, who style them for nights out. In fact, the hashtag “operagloves” currently has 5.2 million views on TikTok – and they were featured on the Valentino A/W ’23 catwalk.
As Harte explains: “Mainly I think Anne’s gloves are a reminder that her ‘old money’ style isn’t trending for so many people on social media; it is their authentic lifestyle. Anne belongs to that older generation who lived and breathed these classic rules of etiquette, so she continues to wear her gloves for formal occasions. That’s her way of showing appreciation for the importance of the function.”
Of course, Anne’s habit of re-wearing things she’s owned forever means she’s sure to be accidentally trendy as things come back into fashion, such as the current vogue for “quiet luxury”. .
“On social media there are pictures of Anne from her 20s that got a lot of attention and went viral,” says Harte. “In off-duty equestrian clothes or even a suit, she looks like she’s stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad.”
This “old money” style looked second-day, with an all-white ensemble with a classic accessory of a tan belt and a nude handbag (the same one she wore through). The fact of recycling clothes is also for her au courant, because we are all looking for a greener approach to fashion. It also emphasizes her stability – as well as the stability of the monarchy – which she is keen to promote.
On the final day of the engagement in Sri Lanka, Anne opted for a loose paisley print midi skirt and shirt, which might be vintage Gucci but was a rare new purchase for her, from the Cheltenham Cotswold Collections store, near her home in Gatcombe Park.
Once again, she took advantage of her wraparound sunglasses, a fun and sporty choice she’s associated with (so much so, that The Crown’s costume designers featured them prominently in a scene from the show’s final season).
Although Anne isn’t one to particularly “enjoy” fashion – instead seeing it as a problem to be solved, there’s no denying that her cool and constant equestrian love of her vintage wardrobe means she’s becoming increasingly popular nor vice versa.
