Princess Anne’s embroidered Garden Party coat dress breaks Queen Elizabeth’s ultimate fashion rule - but we absolutely love it!

Princess Anne’s embroidered Garden Party coat dress broke the late Queen Elizabeth’s ultimate fashion rule - but we absolutely love it! 

• The Princess Royal attended a post-coronation Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on May 9 and her outfit was a masterpiece of subtle styling.
• The King’s sister opted for a cream and beige embroidered coat dress and it couldn’t be more different to the bright looks Queen Elizabeth was known for.
• This royal news comes as a lip reader revealed King Charles called this part of the coronation “boring”. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation gave royal fashion fans a glimpse of some truly spectacular outfits. From Princess Charlotte matching Princess Charlotte with sparkling leaf tiaras to Princess Beatrice’s hot pink dress that paid tribute to her absent daughter Sienna, there were some special looks to be seen. Now the coronation weekend is over and the Royal Family are continuing to up their style game. On May 9 the Prince and Princess of Wales, Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal all made an appearance at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party. 

And it was Princess Anne’s embroidered Garden Party coat dress that really caught our eye as it broke with the late Queen Elizabeth’s ultimate fashion rule.

£60 at John Lewis

Closet London Kimono Side Slit Midi Dress |$75.72/ £60 | John Lewis & Partners

With its classic shape and soft beige shade, this Kimono-style midi dress is the perfect way to recreate Princess Anne's Garden Party look at home in a more low-key way. 

£45.99 at John Lewis

Mango Buttoned Linen Blend Dress | $58/£45.99 | John Lewis & Partners

Dressed up or down, this linen blend dress features beautiful button detailing and draped sleeves and is a lovely summer staple.

Stepping out alongside her fellow senior royals, Princess Anne kept things classic and chic with a cream-toned knee-length coat dress. The dress featured long sleeves that were perfect for the unpredictable British weather and its elegant curved neckline allowed her stunning three-strand pearl necklace to come peaking through. 

Princess Anne’s coat dress was covered with delicate bronze embroidery in curved, feather-style shapes, adding a touch of subtle interest to this understated look. The Princess Royal kept things equally paired back with her accessories and wore low heels, bag and gloves - all in similar shades of cream or white. 

Known for her love of hats whatever the occasion - whether it’s Princess Anne’s structured mint green fedora or cozy trapper hat - here she chose a beige, brown and cream one.

The feather-like designs on Princess Anne’s embroidered Garden Party coat dress were also echoed in the hat’s feather embellishments which were cream, with a few brown speckled ones for extra contrast. Although beautiful, this outfit was a far cry from the kind of Garden Party looks we’ve come to expect from Princess Anne - and it broke with one of Queen Elizabeth’s signature style rules. 

In 2022 Princess Anne’s sweet nod to Prince William and Kate came through when she hosted a Garden Party wearing the same vibrant lilac coat dress and hat she wore to their wedding in 2011. In the past her outfits have often been just as bold and Queen Elizabeth was rarely seen wearing anything other than bright shades and favored everything from vivid pink to turquoise. 

Although there are certain beige elements in Princess Anne’s recent outfit, royal author Robert Hardman once claimed, as per The Mirror, that her mother declared she’d never wear this color.   

"My favorite remark she ever said was, 'I can ever wear beige because nobody will know who I am,” he wrote. 

Princess Anne’s embroidered Garden Party outfit is certainly a lot more low-key and less bright than Queen Elizabeth’s preferred color palette and her own past looks. However, we can’t help loving this totally different approach to royal occasion dressing from the Princess Royal.