Queen Elizabeth Left London in One of Her Signature Beauty Looks

Monique Jessen
·2 min read

In times of hardship or celebration, Queen Elizabeth is rarely seen without one of her style signatures — a vibrant lipstick.

On Thursday, the monarch left Buckingham Palace to head to Windsor Castle, one week early due to the coronavirus health pandemic. Photographed in the back of her chauffeur-driven car, the Queen’s look was casual — a pale blue knitted cardigan under a quilted vest — but her lipstick offered a reassuring pop of glamour.

While we don’t know the exact shade, we do know that her beauty stash includes Elizabeth Arden, a brand that has held a Royal Warrant for an impressive 57 years, in part thanks to a close partnership with Her Majesty’s senior dresser and in-house designer Angela Kelly. She’s reportedly a fan of their Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick, which comes in seven shades.

PA Images

The red shade (which has a pink undertone) could also be from Clarins, which also has a Royal Warrant. The monarch is said to have commissioned the French beauty company to create a bespoke red lipstick for her to wear on her Coronation Day in 1953 — it needed to have staying power, as the ceremony alone was three hours long!

The Print Collector/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on the day of their coronation, Buckingham Palace, 1953. (Colorised black and white print). Artist Unknown. (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images)

In addition to knowing exactly what shade of red best suits her over the last seven decades, the Queen has also perfected the art of retouching without a mirror. She has been spotted through the years taking a lipstick from her handbag and reapplying after dinner or before leaving an event, despite the grandeur of the occasion.

Indigo/Getty Images BRAEMAR, UNITED KINGDOM – SEPTEMBER 03: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Queen Elizabeth II applies her lipstick as she attends the annual Braemar Gathering and Highland Games at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park on September 3, 2011 in Braemar, Scotland. (Photo by Indigo/Getty Images)

Accompanied by her beloved pets, her dorgis, the Queen further glammed up her travel look with a pair of classic pearl earrings. Set to reunite with her husband Prince Philip, who had traveled from Sandringham to Windsor via helicopter, the Queen later that day released a statement of support to the nation, which like much of the world has been dealing with the ongoing deadly coronavirus.

“Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. I am certain we are up to that challenge,” she said in the statement. “You can be assured that my family and I stand ready to play our part.”