Did Queen Elizabeth ever wear jeans? Here's what we know

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on safari during their state visit to Zambia, 1979
© Photo by Serge Lemoine/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on safari during their state visit to Zambia, 1979
More under this ad

We’ve seen the Queen in many glamorous ballgowns and bright power suits over the years, but if you think about it, there is one garment she always avoided. What was it?

Her Majesty has been photographed wearing pants in public fewer than 10 times in the last 70 years, and each time it caused a media sensation. It may seem that she hated this garment but it’s not at all true. Here is what we know about the Queen’s style preferences when it comes to trousers.

Discover our latest podcast

‘She wears them all the time!’

thumbnail
Queen Elizabeth II, wearing jodhpurs and a headscarf, while attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show, held at Home Park in Windsor, Berkshire, England, Great Britain, 13 May 1988 Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
More under this ad
More under this ad

Bethan Holt, a fashion journalist who has written the upcoming book ‘The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style’, debunked some common style misconceptions that surround the Queen. He suggested that she used to wear ‘trousers and a nice knitted jumper or something very functional’.

He said the ‘Royally Obsessed’ podcast, that after the Queen had once worn trousers, it attracted so much media attention that the tailor who made them was interviewed.

More under this ad
More under this ad

And, quite unexpectedly, the tailor said:

Well, this is crazy that everyone is getting excited about the Queen wearing trousers because I have actually made many pairs of trousers for her and she wears them all the time!

So the Queen was, indeed, no stranger to trousers. While seeing her wear them in public might have caused a furore, they were a central part of her private wardrobe.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Never seen wearing jeans

thumbnail
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles in Scrabster Harbour, Scotland on August 2, 2010 Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

As we’ve now established that the Queen did wear pants, what about jeans? Our comfy favourites and the most popular pants of modern times?

More under this ad
More under this ad

Almost all the Queen’s clothes, including trousers, were custom-made and have gone through a long process of planning and fitting. She wasn’t exactly shopping like us and seemed to prefer slow fashion, unlike the young royals.

One of the most open-minded yet conservative monarchs never seemed to warm up to jeans, and to be honest, we can’t imagine her wearing them in private either. Almost all the members of the royal family, including Prince Phillip, were spotted wearing this popular kind of pants at some point, but the Queen wasn’t the one to wear denim.

More under this ad
More under this ad

Read more:

Double denim: yay or nay? These celebrities prove that this trend is fashion-forward

The Queen's secret letter: Some of the content has been revealed before expected opening in 2085

A tier of Queen Elizabeth's wedding cake was sent to Australia: Here’s why

More under this ad