The times that the royal women showed us how to look stylish at church are almost too numerous to count. From Christmas Day to Easter Sunday, the likes of Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales have proven that they can always be relied upon to put a smart - but also fashionable - foot forward.
As decades of royal religious outings have shown, there is a certain formula for head-turning church dressing - with the same style tricks also enlisted by the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana. This usually includes a statement coat or dress, with creative use of accessories - like eye-catching headwear, sleek footwear and a chic designer handbag.
So, if you've got an important upcoming occasion that requires getting into your Sunday best, or need some formal pieces for your capsule wardrobe, then look no further than royal women - past and present - for wardrobe inspiration. From festive outings at Sandringham to weddings at Windsor and memorials at Westminster Abbey, be inspired by these regal looks...
All the times the royal women showed us how to look stylish at church
Royal blue at Sandringham
The Princess of Wales commanded attention - alongside her young children - in a cobalt blue ensemble on Christmas morning at a church service at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2023. Her striking hat and coat perfectly complemented her navy outfit layered beneath.
Pastel pink at Windsor
Just because a trip to church may be on the agenda doesn't mean you can't have a little fun, as Princess Diana proved for an Easter service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 1991. The late royal wore a pink and white checked coat with a matching hat, which she accessorised with a cream handbag and shoes.
Chic camel for Christmas day at Sandringham
Princess Beatrice has frequently proved that less is more when it comes to royal dressing - including a neutral colour palette. For the Christmas church service at Sandringham in 2019, which she attended alongside her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, she wore a belted camel coat with emerald green headwear.
Smart black for New Year's Day
Images of the royals departing St Mary Magdalene church at Sandringham in Norfolk on Christmas Day have become an annual fixture, but the family can also be spotted attending a service at the same location on New Year's Day. Queen Camilla looked smart in black - with feathery headwear - at the event in 2023.
Pretty florals at Windsor
Sometimes the weather permits going without a coat, and royal women will often opt for a statement dress instead. Princess Eugenie wore a pretty floral blue and white long-sleeved number to accompany her late grandmother Queen Elizabeth to the Royal Maundy Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2019.
Elegant beige for a royal outing
Queen Elizabeth had an approach to church dressing that she fine-tuned over her decades as monarch. In 2012, she visited the church of St Peter and St Paul in West Newton, King's Lynn in a beige ensemble - comprising of a matching coat and hat - which she accessorised with a black scarf and boots.
Cornflower blue at Sandringham
Royal women will tend to dress - following Queen Elizabeth's lead - to stand out, so that they can easily be spotted by crowds. Queen Camilla seemed to have taken a leaf out of her book in a stunning cornflower blue get-up at the New Year's Eve Mattins church service on the Sandringham estate, Norfolk in 2023.
Textured brown for a Sunday service at Sandringham
There are few royal women who do church dressing quite like the Princess of Wales. In 2020, at a Sunday service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, Norfolk, she mixed things up with a more muted textured brown coat. Rather than matching accessories, she opted for navy blue fedora hat and quilted black clutch bag.
Canary yellow at Windsor
All eyes were on Princess Diana as she attended an Easter church service, with son Prince William, at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 1992. She turned heads in a canary yellow jacket and pleated skirt, which she toned down with black accessories - including a wide-brimmed hat and heels.
Dusky pink for an important wedding
For church weddings, the royals usually brighten things up somewhat. At the nuptials of her younger sister Pippa Middleton to James Matthews, at St Mark's Church in Englefield Green in 2017, the Princess of Wales was seen tending to Princess Charlotte while wearing a pretty dusky pink outfit.
Navy blue for Christmas day
For her first Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, Norfolk after marrying Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan Markle exuded style. The Duchess of Sussex opted for a navy blue coat, jumper dress and hat - comprising of feather detailing - which she elevated further with a black leather handbag and boots.
Postbox red at Sandringham
Royal women have proven time and again that wrapping up cosy for winter needn't mean any sartorial compromise. Princess Diana looked chic in a postbox red double-breasted trench coat, layered above a black turtleneck, for the Christmas Day church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk in 1993.
Red tweed at Sandringham
Queen Elizabeth was known for choosing block colour for her important royals outings - however she did experiment with pattern and texture on occasion. For the Christmas Day church service in Sandringham, Norfolk in 2008, she wore a smart tweed coat with red detailing throughout - which perfectly complemented her headwear.
A monochromatic Christmas Day look
Princess Eugenie opted for understated chic as she attended the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk in 2023 with her husband Jack Brooksbank. She wore a smart black coat and heeled boots, which she contrasted with a bold white headband.
Nautical pink at St Paul's
Princess Diana could always be counted upon to have fun with fashion. She turned to a nautical theme for her pink and purple skirt suit to attend a service for fire brigade veterans at St Paul's Cathedral in London with her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in 1990 - accessorising with a matching hat and striking clutch bag and heels.
Khaki green at Sandringham
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh exuded understated elegance as she attended the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk in 2023. She wore a khaki green coat, with bow detailing, which she complemented with a brown wide-brimmed hat.
Keeping it neutral for Easter Sunday
Come spring, there is a notable brightening of the colour palette chosen by royal women for church. Princess Anne, for instance, opted for a chic cream hue for the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2023, which she accessorised with a navy blue hat and gloves.
Khaki green at Sandringham
One of Kate Middleton's most memorable looks was the one she wore to the Christmas Day service at Sandringham in 2022. She opted for a smart khaki green coat, which perfectly complemented her darker green wide-brimmed hat as well as her dark brown leather clutch and gloves.
Canary yellow at Windsor
Princess Anne shone bright at the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor to the late Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2019. She stepped out in a canary yellow coat - with navy blue detailing - and accessorised with a hat in the same striking colour combination.
Polka dots at Westminster
While the Princess of Wales doesn't often opt for prints at church occasions, she looked chic in monochrome polka dots at a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in London in 2022. The royal was spotted, alongside daughter Prince Charlotte, wearing a wide-brimmed hat in matching shades.
Navy blue at Sandringham
Tonal dressing is a go-to for royal women. Princess Beatrice demonstrated it to great effect at the Christmas Day service at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2023. She stepped out - alongside her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi - in a belted navy blue coat, which she accessorised with a statement headband in a matching shade.
Ruby red at Sandringham
The Princess of Wales was clearly in a festive mood when she opted to wear a head-to-toe ruby red ensemble for the Christmas Day service at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2018. She paired her smart double-breasted coat, with a pillbox hat and elegant heels.
Sapphire blue at Sandringham
While the headwear of royal women for church will vary in size, Queen Camilla opted to make a statement with her large black hat for the Christmas Day service at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2016. She kept the rest of her look more understated, with a sapphire blue coat and black boots.
Fuchsia pink at Sandringham
Queen Elizabeth never shied away from a bold colour when attending church. She was seen chatting to granddaughter Princess Beatrice following a Christmas Day service in Sandringham, Norfolk in 2002 while wearing a fuchsia pink coat with black detailing.
Neutral hues for Christmas at Sandringham
For her first Christmas at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2017 - the year before she got married to Prince Harry - Meghan Markle looked as though she had been dressing like a royal her entire life. She wore cream coat, tied at the waist, with a brown hat, handbag and suede boots.
Bright purple for Easter Sunday at Windsor
Sophie, Duchess of Cambridge chose a spring-appropriate purple to attend the Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2024. She accessorised her striking coat with a white beret-style hat and a snakeskin-effect clutch bag.
Pastel pink for Harry and Meghan's wedding at Windsor
Queen Camilla wore arguably one of her best church outfits to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2018. She stepped out in a pretty pastel pink coat, which perfectly matched her voluminous ruffled headwear.
Majestic magenta at Sandringham
There was no missing the late Queen Elizabeth when she attended the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, Norfolk in 2014. The monarch opted for a majestic magenta shade for her coat, which was perfectly matched with her hat and complemented with a black handbag and shoes.
Royal blue at Windsor
Queen Camilla almost twinned with King Charles as they attended the Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2023. She wore a royal blue, embroidered midi-dress, which she accessorised with a lighter blue hat and navy blue handbag and shoes.
Elegant white at Westminster
All eyes were on Meghan Markle as she arrived with husband Prince Harty at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, London in 2019. The Duchess of Sussex wore a patterned white dress with a matching coat layered over the top and a pillbox hat, accessorising with a teal green clutch bag and heels.
Cobalt blue at Windsor
The Princess of Wales wowed in cobalt blue at the Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor in 2023. She was seen arriving with her son Prince Louis in a button-through coat, pillbox hat and clutch bag in the shade, finishing off her striking ensemble with a pair of nude heels.
Smart black for a memorial
Princess Diana demonstrated how to dress smartly for a sombre church-based occasion when she attended St. George's Church in Hanover Square, London for the memorial service of photographer Terence Donovan in 1997. She wore a black dress and blazer jacket, with a crocodile-skin handbag and heels.
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