All the times the royals wore denim with aplomb, from Meghan Markle to Princess Diana

Slipping on a pair of jeans might not seem particularly regal, but the many occasions on which the royals have worn denim over the decades are a reminder that they're just like the rest of us. What's more, for individuals used to dressing up in gowns and tailoring, they're pretty good at styling it, too.

Indeed, some of their denim looks have truly stood the test of time from Meghan Markle's go-to blue skinny jeans at the Invictus Games to Princess Diana's beloved straight-leg trousers. Not that they're just defined to jeans, with denim coats, dresses, jackets and shirts found in palace wardrobes too.

So, whether they are opting for a smart-casual dress code in slimming jeans at an official event or have been spotted out and about while off-duty, the royals frequently give us a lesson in how to wear denim in the most stylish way. If you need some everyday sartorial inspiration, then look no further...

Stylish denim looks from the royal ladies

Kate Middleton visits a sports centre

All eyes were on the Princess of Wales as she visited SportsAid at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, in Marlow, in 2023. She paired a cobalt blue blazer jacket with a white top and a pair of dark blue jeans for the relaxed royal engagement.

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Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games

Meghan Markle has been a class act in elevating jeans into a key element of her smarter ensembles. The duchess looked chic at the Invictus Games 2020, at The Hague in the Netherlands, in a pair of blue jeans which she dressed up with a cream coat and brown heels.

Kate Middleton in Wales

For a more understated way to wear denim, make like the Princess of Wales and opt for a pair of jeans in black. She looked elegant when pairing them with a dark green turtle neck jumper and coat to visit the Blaenavon Heritage Centre in Wales in 2022.

Zara Tindall before her wedding

A then-Zara Phillips looked relaxed as she left the rehearsal for her wedding to Mike Tindall in Edinburgh in 2011. Princess Anne's daughter wore a pair of dark blue bootcut jeans with a stripey navy and white cardigan and bejewelled sandals.

Kate Middleton at a rugby club

Jeans needn't just come in just blue or black, as the Princess of Wales demonstrated during a visit to the Dowlais Rugby Club in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in 2023. She paired a skinny grey pair with a casual brown jacket for stylish outdoorsy result.

Queen Maxima at a truck driver school

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands exuded elegance at an official visit to a truck driver school in Nieuwegein in 2021. The Dutch royal wore a pair of wide-legged blue denim trousers with a white top - complete with bow detailing - and a cobalt blue clutch bag.

Kate Middleton's cowboy look

In one of the princess' first engagements after marrying Prince William in 2011, the royal newlyweds paid a visit to Calgary in Canada where they got in the cowboy spirit. She paired a polka dot white blouse and white hat with a pair of blue bootcut jeans and brown boots.

Zara Tindall at Cheltenham Racecourse

Zara Phillips proved that denim needn't just be confined to jeans. In 2006, the daughter of Princess Anne attended Cheltenham Racecourse with then-boyfriend Mike Tindall in a fitted button-through blue denim coat, which she paired with a chocolate brown hat and wide-legged, pinstripe trousers in the same shade.

Kate Middleton out in Scotland

The Princess of Wales looked stylish during a visit to a charity in Moray, Scotland in 2023. She wore a pair of black flared jeans with a green check-print quilted jacket and a pair of chunky brown boots as part of the perfect smart-casual countryside ensemble.

Kate Middleton before her graduation

Before the princess married into the royal family, she was seen out and about before her graduation at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2005. She paired a white strappy vest top with a pair of pale wash blue bootcut jeans and a black belt.

Meghan Markle at the polo

Meghan Markle exuded elegance during an event at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club, near Windsor, in 2018. The duchess looked chic in a dark blue denim mid-dress - complete with a flared skirt and matching belt - along with cream accessories.

Queen Letizia out in Madrid

Queen Letizia demonstrated the versatility of denim while on an official engagement in Madid in 2021. The Spanish royal stepped out in a dark blue button-through shirt-style midi-dress, which she accessorised with a skinny red belt and a pair of heels in a matching shade.

Princess Anne at a horse show

Princess Anne's off-duty ensembles frequently include straight leg blue jeans. The late Queen's daughter wore a slouchy pair at the Windsor Horse Show in 1985, which she paired with a navy quilted jacket, white trainers and a light blue headscarf.

Princess Diana leaving hospital

Princess Diana channelled laidback chic as she accompanied her then-husband Prince Charles as he left Cirencester Hospital in 1990. She styled a loose blue denim shirt over a white top and tucked it into a white floral skirt cinched at the waist with a brown belt.

Kate Middleton at the polo

While it might have been a brave colour to wear in the countryside, Kate Middleton looked stylish in white bootcut jeans at a charity polo match at the Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury in 2006. Then then-girlfriend of Prince William paired them with a white top and brown cardigan.

Meghan Markle in South Africa

Meghan Markle showed why a blue denim jacket should be a staple in every wardrobe during a royal outing in Cape Town, South Africa in 2019. The duchess paired the versatile piece with a white shirt and black jeans for a visit to an NGO.

Sophie Wessex at the barracks

For a visit to the Gibraltar Barracks in Camberley in 2023, the Duchess of Edinburgh looked smart in an army-inspired ensemble. Sophie wore a camo-print coat with a pair of skinny grey jeans and a pair of chunky brown boots.

Princess Diana at the polo

Princess Diana wore a pair of straight-leg blue jeans as part of one of her most iconic outfits of all time. She paired them with a white British Heart Foundation sweater, black blazer jacket, navy baseball cap and brown boots at the Guards Polo Club in 1988.

Meghan Markle out in Toronto

In one of her first public outings with Prince Harry, his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle accompanied him to the Invictus Games in Toronto in 2017. The future duchess memorably wore a pair of ripped blue skinny jeans, which she styled with an oversized white shirt and black sunglasses.

Meghan Markle at The Hague

Meghan Markle looked chic while attending the Invictus Games in The Hague, Netherlands in 2022. The duchess was elegant in a smart black jacket with gold buttons and a sleek ponytail, however she gave her ensemble a relaxed edge with a pair of straight leg blue jeans and aviator sunglasses.

Zara Tindall at the Gatcombe Horse Trials

Zara Tindall wrapped up warm for the Gatcombe Horse Trials in the grounds of her mother's home in 2018. The daughter of Princess Anne paired blue skinny jeans with a grey quilted jacket and a grey bobble hat.

Kate Middleton at the Natural History Museum

In one of her most coveted smart-casual denim looks, the Princess of Wales wore a pair of blue straight-leg jeans in a visit to the Natural History Museum in London in 2021. She paired them with a coral blazer jacket and a white top.

Kate at RAF Wittering

The Princess of Wales opted for skinny black jeans to visit RAF Wittering near Stamford in 2017. She finished off her smart look with a red double-breasted jacket, featuring gold buttons, and a pair of black suede boots.

Princess Anne at the Badminton Horse Trials

Princess Anne looked comfortable in a pair of slouchy dark blue jeans at the Badminton Horse Trials in 1982. The practical princess paired them with a navy jacket, navy sweater, shirt and a pair of Adidas trainers, along with a red necktie and black baker boy cap.

Kate Middleton out in London

Few things go together quite as well as dark blue jeans and breton stripes. The Princess of Wales wore a white and navy jumper with a bootcut-style pair, and a brown jacket layered over the top, for a royal engagement in north London in 2023.

Meghan Markle out in Dusseldorf

Meghan Markle turned heads in an all-black ensemble at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany in 2023. The duchess paired black straight leg jeans with a black short-sleeved top and a pair of black heels to see the wheelchair basketball final.

Sarah, Duchess Of York on a family outing

A blue denim jacket makes the ideal between-season cover-up, as Sarah, Duchess of York proved while on a family outing with her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in 1996. Prince Andrew's ex-wife paired the piece with a white top, a polka dot skirt and white trainers.

Camilla walking near Sandringham

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, perfected the off-duty royal ensemble while walking on the royal Norfolk country estate of Sandringham in 2006. A then Prince Charles' wife paired her dark green jacket with blue jeans, along with wellies, a burnt-orange scarf and a brown hat.

Sophie Wessex at the beach

To help pick litter on Southsea beach near Portsmouth in 2020, the then-Countess of Wessex looked relaxed in a pair of blue skinny jeans. Sophie paired the classic wardrobe staple with a long-sleeved dusky pink blouse and flat cream espadrilles.

Princess Anne walking at Gatcombe Park

Princess Anne looked comfortable in a pair of blue bootcut jeans while taking her dog for a walk in the grounds of her home, Gatcombe Park, in 1974. The late Queen's daughter paired them with navy blue quilted jacket and brown boots.

Princess Diana doing the school run

For the school run to drop off son Prince Harry in 1992, Princess Diana looked stylish in a pair of straight leg blue jeans. The royal, who was spotted leaving Wetherby School in London with her other son Prince William, paired them with a white T-Shirt - complete with a blue 'star' print - and a dark brown belt.

Diana skiing in Austria

Princess Diana helped solidify her status as one of the most stylish royals of all time while on a family ski trip to Lech, Austria in 1993. The mother-of-two wowed in a blue denim shirt and jeans in a matching shade, which she paired with a black leather jacket, brown belt and white boots.