Queen Elizabeth Used Fashion as Soft Power, Says Author

The Queen Mother waving and holding a fur stole; the cover of the book Fashioning the Crown with Queen Elizabeth's coronation photo on it; Princess Kate walking in her wedding dress — (Image credit: Getty Images; Pegasus Books)

As the former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK, there aren’t many people that would leave Justine Picardie starstruck. But Picardie—whose latest book, Fashioning the Crown, was released February 24—tells Marie Claire that Queen Elizabeth left her feeling “entirely overwhelmed” when she first met the late monarch.

The author’s husband, Philip Astor, is one of Queen Elizabeth’s many godchildren, and he warned Picardie that many people became speechless when they were introduced to Her Majesty. Despite his heads-up, the fashion expert found herself surprised by her own reaction.

“There was a kind of humility about her, combined with absolute majesty,” she recalls. “The combination of majesty, mystique, mystery, with modesty and humility…I mean, that is the most unexpected combination of qualities that I'd ever encountered.”

Despite being “the most famous woman in the world,” Picardie says that “there was nothing performative” about Queen Elizabeth’s presence—or her fashion.

Justine Picardie in a cream suit and long earrings in front of a Historic Royal Palaces backdrop — Justine Picardie is pictured at the launch party for the Fashion Rules exhibition at Kensington Palace in 2013.

Pegasus Books

Fashioning the Crown

“There was a kind of quiet dignity that she had, and a modesty that I hadn't expected,” she tells Marie Claire. Picardie continues that Queen Elizabeth was “entirely at ease whether she was in a tiara and a jeweled evening gown or in a tartan skirt and a Scottish tweed jacket.”

In a world where the British monarch is a figurehead, visual symbolism becomes everything. Picardie says that one of the Royal Family’s greatest strengths is the ability to convey messages through fashion.

The author describes Queen Elizabeth as having been “almost like a brand ambassador for the House of Windsor from the get-go.” She notes that Elizabeth’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary “were hugely aware of the power of visual iconography and what they wore,” and that continued with the young Princess Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

“Its role is to reign, not to rule,” Picardie says of the monarchy, adding, “a lot of that has to be done totally silently, literally just through the power of visual impact.”

Princess Elizabeth in a poodle skirt and checked shirt dancing with Prince Philip, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, in 1951 — "They looked like a young North American couple," Picardie says of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth dancing during a 1951 tour of Canada.

In the book, the fashion expert takes readers through half a century of British history, exploring how royal fashion not only evolved, but helped the Royal Family perform their duties with this sense of “soft power.” From Princess Elizabeth’s simple wartime skirts and blouses to Wallis Simpson’s “provocative” Schiaparelli ensembles, Picardie says she wants her readers “to feel they can come on a journey with me.”

This journey includes heading to Windsor Castle to explore the royal textile archives, viewing pieces such as a red velvet gown worn by a young Queen Victoria and the 1950s skirt and Western shirt Queen Elizabeth wore on a 1951 tour of Canada. “You are literally touching history when you are touching those garments,” Picardie tells Marie Claire. “And that, you know, it is the most powerfully kind of, almost intimate thing to do, to touch this fabric and to see the links with the past.”

As for Princess Kate, Picardie says she’s continuing in the tradition of royals before her, even if her trouser suits might seem like a departure from the norm.

Princess Kate wearing a gold gown walking with Prince William at a state banquet — The Princess of Wales is seen in a gown and lace overcoat by British designer Philippa Lepley.

“Catherine's been seen recently at British textile producers, textile mills, artisan producers, and that very much is something that was evident, you know, over a century ago,” Picardie says. “You saw Queen Mary doing that, who was Queen Elizabeth's grandmother, and that continues through the generations.”

She points to the “very timeless” gold lace evening jacket and classic gown Princess Kate wore for the U.S. state visit in 2025 as an example of an enduring royal style. “That lace dress, which was designed by a British couturier called Philippa Lepley, definitely was in that line of eternal style as established by previous generations of royal women,” she says.

Queen Elizabeth, for example, had worn an extremely similar gold lace gown during a 2003 visit with George W. Bush and Laura Bush in the United States.

Meghan Markle in her wedding gown walking up steps — The Duchess of Sussex, pictured on her 2018 wedding day, chose a Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy wedding dress.

And when it comes to Meghan Markle’s Givenchy wedding dress, her veil was embroidered with flowers representing each of the Commonwealth countries—a nod to Queen Elizabeth’s coronation gown. Picardie points to Meghan’s dress as one of her favorite wedding gowns in British fashion history, along with the late Queen’s, Princess Kate’s and Queen Camilla’s.

“To quote Coco Chanel, fashion fades, style is eternal,” Picardie says. “I think they're all very timeless dresses that are not going to date.”

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.