New Year’s Eve is all about sparkle and New Year’s Day can feel quite dull in comparison so a recollection of glitz from the past always helps to life spirits. These fabulous royal looks are all part of history now, having been worn in 2024, but just because it’s 2025, it doesn’t mean we can’t share our favourite style moments of the year just gone. Happy New Year.
Balenciaga dresses a queen, again
Chosen by our editor, Lydia Starbuck (who is obsessed): I love Balenciaga – the story, the legend, the clothes. And after overdosing on the Disney+ series to kick off the year, I was more than happy to see him back in the headlines by dressing a queen who was born several months after he died.
Letizia Ortiz Rocosolano is Spain’s first homegrown consort in over a century, not to mention a royal renowned for putting her country’s fashion on the global map. So it was more than appropriate that she chose vintage Balenciaga for an official photo portrait by Annie Leibovitz to mark the tenth anniversary of her husband’s accession as king. It will hang forever in the Bank of Spain – a style queen dressed by Spain’s ultimate style king.
Green with envy over Princess Madeleine’s Nobel look
Chosen by our Assistant Editor, Jess Ilse (who is having trouble leaving this one behind): I cannot stop thinking about Princess Madeleine’s Nobel Prize ceremony look! I always look forward to the Nobels because the entire Swedish Royal Family puts on some of their best gowns and brightest jewels, and Princess Madeleine has always been a standout when she attends. It’s been a long drought of her not attending (having only just moved back to Sweden in June 2024) and what a welcome return!
The emerald green Fadi El Khoury off-the-shoulder gown? The sparkle? The Connaught Tiara? Princess Madeleine, never leave!
A luvverly return to form for the Princess of Wales
Chosen by our royal reporter, Sydney Zatz (she was waiting for this one): For me, there is no question the Princess of Wales is my favourite member of the royal family and in my opinion, the most stylish. While we understandably haven’t seen her much this year, we did get a few fashion moments from her.
I always look forward to her Trooping the Colour outfit and this year did not disappoint. Not only did the future queen have an Audrey Hepburn vibe with her navy-style look, but the family matched her ensemble. By far one of my favourite “Trooping” looks to date
