The Princess Royal needs no introduction as one of the most influential style icons of the royal family. Now in her seventies, Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter has had quite the royal career, from being VOGUE's covergirl to officially being declared the "hardest working royal" multiple years in a row.
While Princess Anne's modest style may now reflect her senior royal position, the 72-year-old princess was once the monarchy's It-girl. Rocking flippy mini skirts, sporting 70s florals and even wearing glittering tiaras before she was officially allowed to - the Princess Royal's style file is a rich archive of unrivalled outfits.
Rewind to the 1980s, when Princess Anne was in her thirties. Unearthed photographs taken from the royal's meeting with King Constantine of Greece in London show her donning a beautiful blue silk dress with a seriously daring neckline.
Anne wore a stunning striped halterneck dress with a backless design and fitted bodice, cascading outward into a full skater skirt. Her bare shoulders and exposed décolletage looked oh-so-elegant in the statement number, but certainly veered on the line of breaking royal protocol.
© GettyThe Queen's daughter wore her raven hair in her signature chignon, a hairstyle she has worn exclusively for nearly five decades. She elevated her eveningwear with beautiful pearl stud earrings and a trio of pearls around her neck.
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A collection of gold bangles adorned Princess Anne's wrist, while she was accessorised with a black leather clutch bag.
It's not forbidden for royal ladies to bare their shoulders. In fact, the Princess of Wales has debuted many a Bardot dress on the red carpet, and the late Princess Diana's style is memorialised by her fabulous embellished strapless dresses and bejewelled off-the-shoulder gowns.
© GettyHowever, senior members of the royal family are expected to dress modestly for royal occasions, and Princess Anne's 1980's halter-neck ensemble would have certainly been a head-turning moment at the time.
© GettyThe Princess Royal has never been afraid to bend the rules of royal fashion protocol. Back in 1973, she donned a cloud-blue tailored pantsuit layered over a canary yellow silk blouse.
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© GettyNow a much-loved royal style trend, according to Insider, back in the 1970s a trouser suit was considered a fashion faux pas for royal ladies. The risky style choice adopted the silhouette of menswear tailoring. Our thoughts? We think she looks visionary.
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