This is why the Queen never wears beige - and always wears colour

The Queen met President Joe Biden and other world leaders at the G7 summit in Cornwall

(Getty Images)

The Queen spent the weekend meeting G7 leaders at St Ives in Cornwall, followed by Trooping The Colour to mark her official birthday, and hosting afternoon tea for the Bidens at Windsor.

As well as noting that that is an exceptionally busy schedule for a 95-year-old, royal watchers will have noticed that the Queen rotated a wardrobe of bright summer clothing, forgoing any muted or earthy tones.

This line up included a white floral dress and coat at the Eden Project, along with her signature pearl necklace, a blue and gold jacket for the birthday parade (with matching hat), and an Erdem-style pastel pink flowery coat for her second meeting with the American president.

These eye-catching ensembles join a legacy of bright sartorial choices for Queen Elizabeth II, whose style has become so renowned that an entire book, Our Rainbow Queen: A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and Her Colourful Wardrobe by Sali Hughes, has been dedicated to it.

But this isn’t just about personal preference. There is a reason behind the colours.

Why does the Queen wear colour?

While it may be the case that the Queen enjoys wearing bright colours as opposed to muted or earthy tones, or black and white, royal insiders have explained that it is also a strategic move to ensure visibility.

In the documentary The Queen at 90, Sophie, Countess of Wessex explained: “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say ‘I saw the Queen’.

“Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.”

Hughes, author of a book on the Queen’s wardrobe told Good Morning America: "So much thought goes into it and nothing is an accident.

"If anyone thinks they’re overthinking the Queen’s fashion, they’re not, because they would never be able to think about more than the Queen and [royal dressmaker] Angela Kelly."

Angela Kelly, 53, has been the Queen’s personal dresser since 2002. In 2019 Kelly announced that Her Majesty would only wear faux fur going forward.

Analysis of 365 days of the Queen’s wardrobe, done by Vogue in 2012, found her most used colour was blue (29 per cent of engagements) followed by florals (13 per cent). Green and cream tied for third, with 11 per cent each.