From designer-loving Meghan Markle’s £86.50 Banana Republic dress to Queen Maxima’s £39.99 H&M outfit – how royals have swapped exclusive fashion for high street outfits costing less than £100
In a world where the royals are often seen as the epitome of luxury and exclusivity, it’s refreshing to see them wearing accessible high street brands.
They sometimes choose items that cost less than £100, yet are still royal worthy.
The Princess of Wales has previously opted for affordable retailer & Other Stories, the Duchess of Edinburgh loves Spanish brand Zara and Meghan has chosen Banana Republic.
Embracing high street fashion not only humanises the royals but also has a profound impact on the fashion industry.
‘The royals have such a strong influence around the world, they are seen everywhere and always create a huge amount of coverage when they step out,’ says fashion brand consultant Clare Alexander.
She has worked with many brands, including Kate Middleton‘s go-to designers Temperley and Topshop.
Ms Alexander explains ‘people want to copy their [the royals’] looks, as they look clean, elegant and classy, and especially when they are wearing affordable items, it is accessible for the outfit to be recreated.’
The Princess of Wales
Kate with Prince Louis at her Chelsea Flower Show garden wearing the £79 floral &Other Stories long sleeve midi dress
Many eyes were rightly on one-year-old Prince Louis playing on the rope swing during Kate Middleton’s unveiling of her garden for the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019.
But another star of the outing was Kate’s £79 floral printed long-sleeve midi dress from affordable retailer & Other Stories.
Cinched in at the waist and featuring an elegant bib style at the neck, it’s chic yet pretty and playful.
The Princess of Wales looked stunning in the high street dress as she and her family were seen walking into the flower show in 2019
The Princess of Wales’ willingness to mix high-end designers with high street fashion is estimated to give a £1billion annual boost to the industry.
Ms Alexander would love Kate and other royals to go further however by championing more sustainable brands as well as high street names.
Ttheir power can be life-changing for small brands due to the exposure it creates and when they wear a dress that is affordable for the masses it can be a turning point for a clothing brand,’ she said.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Queen Letizia was effortlessly elegant as she recycled a high street staple dress to the Antonio de Nebrija exhibition in March 2023, pairing it with her Magrit clutch and heels.
The £99.99 Massimo Dutti navy frock featured cut-out detailing along the collar and a colourful polka dot design.
It was the fifth time that Spain’s Queen – who is known for her love of bringing new life to her clothes and recycling them – has been spotted in it.
Queen Letizia was effortlessly elegant as she recycled a high street staple dress to the Antonio de Nebrija exhibition in March 2023, pairing it with her Magrit clutch and heels
The £99.99 Massimo Dutti navy frock featured cut-out detailing along the collar and a colourful polka dot design
Duchess of Edinburgh
Sophie looked sensational in a £69.99 Zara dress when she attended a reception for the Trachoma Elimination Programme during her visit to Malawi in 2022.
The lightweight broderie anglaise frock featured puff sleeves and a full skirt, while the tie belt cinched in her waist.
Styled for the sunshine, she added Chloé sandals, a blue croc-effect clutch bag by Sophie Habsburg and her hair was in loose waves.
Sophie, then the Countess of Wessex, looked fabulous in Malawi wearing a £69.99 dress from Zara
The style really suited her and the white broderie anglaise was perfect for the sunshine
Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice wore a recycled H&M dress hosted a tea party at St James’s Palace for the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity earlier this year.
She dressed in a recycled H&M dress which was first worn in 2016.
Blooming in the £27.99 floral frock, she completed the look with a blazer that added structure to the pretty print.
Princess Beatrice held a tea party at St James’s Palace wearing a £27.99 H&M frock
Duchess of Sussex
Not everything in Meghan Markle’s wardrobe comes with a royally big price tag.
For the second evening of the Invictus Games in Germany last year she stepped on the stage in a budget-friendly look.
Her £86.50 Banana Republic shirt dress was given a high fashion twist, as she swapped the tie waist for a Bottega Veneta belt and added her favourite Aquazzura pumps.
Not everything in Meghan Markle’s wardrobe comes with a royally big price tag. Above: In an £86.50 Banana Republic shirt dress at last year’s Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany
Princess Victoria of Sweden
Radiant in a palette of vibrant pinks, Princess Victoria wore a floral midi skirt by & Other Stories for an event last year.
The visit to mark the 400th anniversary of Rudbeckianska school in Sweden marked the second time that Victoria wore the sell-out £95 skirt.
On this occasion, she paired it with a fuchsia Zara blazer.
She also mixed in high-end brands with a Vesna W top, Saint Laurent bag and bright green Gianvito Rossi pumps.
Radiant in a palette of vibrant pinks, Princess Victoria wore a floral midi skirt by & Other Stories for an event last year. The visit to mark the 400th anniversary of Rudbeckianska school in Sweden marked the second time that Victoria wore the sell-out £95 skirt
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
Queen Maxima donned a £39.99 H&M dress with billowing sleeves as she visited key healthcare workers at a hospital in Amsterdam in November 2020.
The royal customised the dark beige dress with a wide belt which accentuated her waist and added a neutral clutch and pumps.
Queen Maxima looked so elegant on a visit to a hospital in 2020 in this H&M dress, which was just £39.99
Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall headed to Aintree for the famous Grand National in 2022 showing us all how to dress for the races in a Lalage Beaumont fitted jacket and trousers with Jimmy Choo heels.
However, it was her eye-catching £45 Monsoon ruffled blouse that stood out and gave the ensemble a fashion forward edge, showing that the high street is the addition you need for a winning fashion formula.
Zara’s eye-catching blouse was £45 from Monsoon when she attended the Grand National
Queen Mary of Denmark
Not one to shy away from mixing the high street with high fashion, Queen Mary occasionally opts for the Swedish fashion brand H&M.
She choose to wear this brand for the Joaquín Sorolla exhibition in Copenhagen in 2023, where she upcycled a £95.99 green floral midi dress which was customised into a skirt.
The royal has worn the skirt to various events, including the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2018, and on this occasion it was paired with a Self Portrait top.
This glamorous evening skirt worn by Queen Mary of Denmark in November last year was £95.99 from H&M
