Last weekend marked two years since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Yet despite being firmly in the midst of our new Carolean age, Britain’s longest reigning monarch casts a long shadow – particularly when it comes to her influence on fashion. Case in point, the autumn announcement from Italian fashion brand Miu Miu that it would be releasing a special “Miu Balmoral” collection, named after the late monarch’s beloved Scottish bolthole.
Described as a celebration of “the fearlessness of British style,” the Miu Balmoral collection features all the things you might have expected Queen Elizabeth to wear on her Scottish summer holiday: Argyle knits, waxed cotton barn coats, Prince of Wales checks and walking boots (these ones are by Church’s). There are Miu Miu thistle bag charms, pearl necklaces and tweed bags, the latter of which doesn’t look dissimilar to the late Queen’s famous Launer one. There are even some Princess Anne-style sporty wraparound sunglasses. Suffice to say, one can very much imagine that Her Majesty would approve.
Throughout her lifetime, the late Queen spent every summer at Balmoral, her private Scottish residence. While there, she and her family indulged in outdoor pursuits, such as walking, fishing and horse riding, and were attired accordingly, wearing waterproofs, tweeds, waxed jackets and the like, with the Queen herself known for adding a silk scarf as a head covering.
“The Queen adopted a country uniform, which helped etch her look into the public’s minds,” explains Elizabeth Holmes, the author of HRH: So Many Thoughts On Royal Style. “I think of it like her daywear for duties, which in the later years stuck to a bit of a formula. Swap the hat for a silk Hermès scarf, the coat for a trench or Barbour jacket, and the dress for a sensible shirt and plaid skirt.”
One of the reasons that the look has become so synonymous with the late Queen is that she was photographed in it year-in, year-out, while its enduring popularity likely springs from the fact it’s a very classic, traditional and British look. “The Queen relied on classic fabrics and prints that have stood the test of time — the heavy wools, the history-filled plaids,” explains Holmes. “She also chose styles that many people, of many ages and backgrounds, might wear. They might not wear it how she wore it. They might have an updated take on how to tie a Hermès scarf, but the pieces are the same.”
“She encapsulated traditional English country style and perhaps in these clothes she looked more human and relatable,” agrees Jane Eastoe, the author of Queen Elizabeth II: A Lifetime of Dressing for the World Stage. “Her Majesty’s Balmoral style spanned over 70 years from the 1950s to meeting the new Prime Minister in September 2022 in her last official duty before her death.”
While it sounds fairly humdrum, the look has become a staple of autumn/winter mood boards for the very fact that she often styled it in a more fun way. “Although she relied on this combination, she didn’t wear the same pieces repeatedly – like her daywear, she left some room to play with fashion a bit, as seen in some of her more whimsical scarf choices,” shares Holmes. “It’s a very clever way of being both fashionable and familiar.”
Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu’s creative director, once described the late Queen as “one of the most elegant women in the world,” and has previously referenced her style signatures in her collections. The most recent example is the barn jacket, which she debuted in Prada’s spring/summer 2024 collection, sparking one of this season’s biggest trickle-down trends across the high street. She’s far from the only designer who remains infatuated with the late Queen’s style. Fellow Italian, the Valentino designer Alessandro Michele, is known for being a major fan of her look. During his tenure at Gucci, he repeatedly sent his models out wearing silk head scarves inspired by her Balmoral style.
Naturally, British designers have also looked to her for inspiration, from Christopher Kane to Vivienne Westwood. John Galliano told Vogue in 2022, “Even today… there are always pictures of the Royal Family on my mood board. My love of British yarns or wovens is inspired by her… The Land Rover, the headscarf, the corgi, the Barbour jacket.”
The renaissance of the Balmoral look has been bubbling under the surface for a few years now, with the high street awash with not only the aforementioned barn jackets, but Argyle knits, checks and a particularly high number of kilts this season. Shows like the BBC’s hit, The Traitors, have of course helped to keep the look in the public eye, but references can also be traced back to the late Queen.
“I think like so much of Queen Elizabeth’s legacy, consistency in clothing was key,” shares Holmes. “By wearing the same pieces, the same shapes, for years – decades even – she became instantly recognisable to the world. I think there is a certain nostalgia for the Queen after her passing, and that likely extends to her fashion.”
Curiously, the Miu Miu collection isn’t being sold in the brand’s stores in the UK or even Europe (though it is available online). Instead, it is being sold in pop-up stores across East Asia, specifically in Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Seoul, which perhaps speaks to this market’s ongoing obsession with all things royal and specifically Elizabeth II.
All over the world, the Balmoral look loved by the late Queen lives on.
Get the Balmoral look
Wool sleeveless cardigan, £159, Brora
Wool jumper, £345, Herd
Pleated skirt, £32.99, Mango
Padded jacket, £165, & Other Stories
Wool polo jumper, £115, Cos
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