Trooping the Colour…ful outfits: The best royal looks from Britain’s most iconic parade over the years

Princess Catherine’s outfits are always the most highly anticipated aspect of any big royal family affairs. Each year, she does not disappoint.

In 2026, Her Royal Highness opted for a classic pale blue Catherine Walker & Co. coat dress. Catherine paired the classic piece with a pair of white Gianvito Rossi pumps and a showstopping Philip Treacy hat in the same blue.

Princess Charlotte looked so grown-up at the 2026 Trooping the Colour parade.

The little royal wore a darling Alessandra Rich dress paired with a Jane Taylor London bow to hold her hair up in the sweetest half-up style. Charlotte also wore a pair of white ballerina flats to tie the whole look together.

The Princess also had a tiny matching moment with Princess Catherine that many may have missed. The mother-daughter duo wore almost identical three-string pearl bracelets. It was a very delicate and very precious detail.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was a vision in white at the 2026 Trooping the Colour.

Her Royal Highness wore a Roland Mouret short-sleeved midi dress and a bespoke Jane Taylor fascinator.

Always dressing for the occasion, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, wowed the crowds with a beautiful sunshine yellow ensemble.

In her first public appearance since her health update in March earlier this year, Princess Catherine wore a beautiful monochromatic outfit. Looking to designers she knows and loves, she wore a Phillip Treacy hat and Jenny Packham dress.

Lady Louise, the daughter of Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, looked positively royal in a beautiful white and blue dress, with a matching hat. Fun fact: she wore this dress previously to the King’s coronation…stylish and sustainable.

Queen Camilla sported a pastel blue coat and dress set, paired with a cream hat and neutral bag and gloves.

Princess Diana was a fashion icon at the event from the get-go. Pictured here in 1982 shortly after her wedding to Prince Charles and pregnant to first son William, the beautiful Princess opted for a bold green maternity dress with a matching hat.

In 1987, Diana and her in-law Sarah Ferguson swapped fashion notes by opting for brimmed hats during the annual event. We’re particularly fond of Diana’s stark white look, which looked timelessly classy and chic.

A year later, Diana was back to her green roots, wearing this iconic peppermint and white ensemble, which adorably matched with a cheeky Prince Harry.

The royal women were back at it again in 1991 – Diana and Fergie’s ensembles were a 1990s fashion peak.

Following in her mother Sarah’s footsteps, Beatrice has always been known to make quite the fashion statement at the event throughout the years. This standout hat, worn in 2007, is a case in point!

Newly married to Prince William, Duchess Catherine made her grand debut in 2011 alongside her in-law Camilla in a beautiful white Alexander McQueen coat.

Ever the colour chameleon, Queen Elizabeth II went bold as she went home for the 2016 Trooping the Colour parade. A zesty green never goes amiss!

Another year, another Alexander McQueen coat for the fashion-forward Kate in 2017. In a Diana mirror moment, she also subtly matched with her daughter Charlotte for the occasion.

In 2018, Catherine and Camilla opted for muted ice blue tones for the spectacle. Once again, Kate’s designer of choice was Alexander McQueen – a fashion hack worth noting!

Duchess Meghan broke onto the Trooping the Colour scene with flying, well… colours in 2018. Mere weeks after her showstopping royal wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan’s pastel pink Carolina Herrera dress became an icon in itself.

Meghan and Kate shared a sweet bonding moment during the day’s event.

In 2019, Meghan made one of her first post-baby appearances after welcoming baby Archie to the royal fold just a month earlier. The Duchess’s navy blue Givenchy ensemble was the perfect, statement-making comeback outfit.

Eugenie and Beatrice did nothing to quell the notion that Trooping the Colour is a right royal fashion spectacle. Beatrice’s pale pink dress with black detailing was subtle, yet sweet, while Eugenie’s printed blue frock was an undeniable eye-catcher.

True to tradition, Kate wore a yellow Alexander McQueen frock to the event in 2019, a look that almost (emphasis on almost) stole the show over Prince Louis’ adorable balcony debut.

In 2022, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was a vision in her crisp white coat dress by Alexander McQueen. She had previously worn the outfit in 2021.

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wore a sky blue striped dress with pearls and a blue hat for the 2022 Trooping the Colour.

For her Platinum Jubilee official birthday parade, the Queen looked distinguished in her sky blue coat and hat with floral motif trimming, but her sunglasses were a special highlight.

The 2023 Trooping the Colour was a memorable occasion for many reasons, one being the first for Kate Middleton as the Princess of Wales.

Her style choice, of course, held many hidden meanings not lost on those who understood the significance of the occasion. Catherine’s green tailored dress was designed by Singapore-born Andrew GN, a nod to the 2023 Earthshot Prize Ceremony held and attended by her husband, Prince William.

Along with her new title, Catherine also took on a new role as Colonel of the Irish Guards, which she recognised in her choice of colourway as well as the Cartier brooch.

In their first Trooping the Colour as King and Queen, Their Majesties looked like a uniformed match!

The 2023 event was the first long-held tradition in honour of King Charles himself, which meant all eyes were on the pair.

Queen Camilla, like many others, was appointed the new role of Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, a role that inspired her choice of outfit. Camilla’s epaulettes reflected her rank and title, and her black Philip Treacy hat was an intentional nod to the traditional bearskin hats of the Grenadier Guards.

In a wonderful act of sustainability, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, opted for a dress and hat she had previously been seen in before.

In 2023, at the annual Trooping the Colours, the wife of Prince Edward chose to re-wear a cream Belulah London dress and ivory wide-brimmed hat previously seen on the Duchess at the 2014 Royal Ascot.