Royals in shades! How the late Queen first wore sunglasses in public in 1954, and King Charles, Prince William, Anne and Princess Charlotte have followed in her footsteps

Queen Elizabeth II first wore sunglasses in public during a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1954.   

She picked a pair of round tortoiseshell frames, a choice that would be considered equally chic today. 

Now, the Prince of Wales is making waves with his choice of eyewear.

During a trip to Cornwall earlier this month, William opted for Finlay London‘s ‘Marshall’ sunglasses, a design he also frequently favoured last year.

Interestingly, his brother Prince Harry has worn the same design despite their deep rift. 

As for Princess Anne, for years she has worn the same pair of Team GB Adidas sunglasses – demonstrating her preference for practicality over expense.  

Elizabeth continued to wear various bespoke designs over the years, particularly after undergoing cataract surgery in 2018.

In later life, Her Majesty wore glasses with transitional lenses from brand Silhouette  that darkened in sunlight. 

Here, we explore the eyewear brands endorsed by members of the Royal Family. 

Queen Elizabeth II first wore sunglasses in public during a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1954 (left) and continued to wear various bespoke designs over the years

Finlay London

While Prince William has recently made waves in Finlay London’s ‘Marshall’ sunglasses, he was not the first royal to wear the British brand.

Prince Harry wore the same design to the F1 Grand Prix in Austin last October.

During a trip to Cornwall, William opted for Finlay London’s ‘Marshall’ sunglasses, a design he frequently favoured last year

The brothers may not get on but they have the same taste in sunglasses with Prince Harry wearing his at the F1 Grand Prix in Texas in 2023

And a number of royal ladies are fans of the London-based label too.

Meghan Markle showcased their ‘Percy’ tortoiseshell shades in 2017, before she and Harry were engaged. 

Meanwhile, Kate Middleton opted for the ‘Henrietta’ style at Wimbledon and also during her royal tour of the Caribbean with William in 2022.

Jack Brooksbank even sported a pair of Finlay London frames on his wedding day to watch Princess Eugenie walk down the aisle at St George’s Chapel.

Adidas

Over the years, Princess Anne has solidified her status as fashion icon, a title that extends to her accessories.

One standout pair of specs from her collection is by Adidas. 

The frameless design incorporates red polarised lenses and the Team GB logo – showing how they are more at home with athletes than royalty. 

However, Anne has carried off the look on a number of occasions, including during an appearance at the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show.  

Princess Anne has solidified her status as fashion icon, a title that extends to her accessories

Moscot

Similar to his sons, King Charles has a preference for sunglasses with transparent frames.

The monarch favours the ‘Lemtosh’ style by Moscot, as illustrated during his visit to Kenya in October last year.

King Charles sported ‘Lemtosh’ sunglasses by Moscot in Kenya in 2023

Illesteva 

Italian eyewear brand Illesteva has garnered followers in both Zara Tindall and Meghan Markle.

Meghan took the lead by sporting a striking pair of tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses during the 2018 Invictus Games.

Subsequently, in 2022, Zara accessorised her ensemble with a similar design at Epsom Racecourse.

Zara Tindall and Meghan Markle have both worn sunglasses by Italian brand Illesteva 

Victoria Beckham

As expected, Kate attended Wimbledon 2023 in style, completing her ensemble with square-framed ‘Denim’ sunglasses by Victoria Beckham.

The same year, Meghan showcased navigator sunglasses designed by the former Spice Girl.

Kate showcased square-framed ‘Denim’ sunglasses by Victoria Beckham at Wimbledon 2023

Leosun 

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Charlotte put on a stylish display as she watched the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final.

The young royal was wearing a floral dress and pink Leosun sunglasses.

Although this design was from a previous collection, the brand experienced a 450 per cent surge in web traffic during the royal’s outing. 

A similar style, called Rose Fade, outsold other models three times over.

Charlotte put on a stylish display in Leosun sunglasses at the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final

Ray-Ban 

Queen Elizabeth II was the first member of the Royal Family to wear Ray-Ban sunglasses.

And several royals have followed suit by choosing eyewear from the iconic brand.

Princess Diana, Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry and King Charles have all been seen wearing them over the years.

Princess Beatrice wore Ray-Ban sunglasses to the wedding of Prince Amedeo of Belgium and Elisabetta Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein in Rome 

Silhouette

After undergoing cataract surgery in 2018, Queen Elizabeth frequently wore sunglasses for practical reasons.

The late monarch favoured Silhouette glasses with transitional lenses that darkened in sunlight.

She was spotted wearing them during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May 2022.

After undergoing cataract surgery in 2018, Queen Elizabeth frequently wore sunglasses for practical reasons. The late monarch favoured Silhouette glasses with transitional lenses that darkened in sunlight. Above: The Queen wearing the brand at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022

The Queen wears dark sunglasses at a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 2018