Royals wearing bodycon dresses

7 times royal ladies rocked timeless bodycon dresses: From Princess Kate's red carpet gown to Princess Diana's revenge dress

Even the late Queen Elizbeth II once opted for a silhouette-hugging gown...

Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
Fashion and Beauty News Editor
December 13, 2023

The best dressed royal ladies are never afraid to experiment when it comes to rocking a versatile wardrobe of silhouettes - from dramatic ball gowns to fluttering tiered frocks and tailored power suits.

Occasionally, the royal style set turns to the timeless bodycon, which originated in the 90s from the now-archival 'bandage dress'. 

The likes of the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Charlene and more royal ladies have been seen sporting a silhouette-hugging bodycon dress in recent years - chic, classic and unfussy. 

Whether it's on the red carpet or at an official royal engagement, we can trust the royalty's sartorial mavens to know how to finesse a fitted dress. Keep scrolling for the proof…

Royal ladies rocking bodycon dresses

© Getty

Princess Kate's Hollywood moment

The Princess of Wales had a show-stopping sartorial moment at the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick in Leicester Square, London, in May 2022.

Looking positively glorious alongside husband Prince William, the mother-of-three wore a glamorous bodycon Roland Mouret dress with a Bardot neckline. 

The dress was a black column style with a white band across the top that showed off her elegant décolletage. 

© Getty

Meghan Markle's electric blue bodycon dress

The Duchess of Sussex truly wowed us all when she stepped out in her Victoria Beckham fitted T-shirt dress during one of her last visits to the UK before stepping down as a senior royal in 2020. 

The wife of Prince Harry teamed the timeless number with a slicked-back ponytail and smokey makeup, adding petrol blue accessories. 

© Fred Duval

Duchess Sophie's Victoria Beckham dress

The Duchess of Edinburgh also owns the very same Victoria Beckham dress in a bold orange shade, and wore it long before Meghan. 

Duchess Sophie stepped out in the bodycon number back in 2015, at the annual BGC charity day - looking incredible, might we add!

© Pascal Le Segretain

Princess Beatrice's Paris Fashion Week moment

Princess Beatrice tends to opt for ultra-feminine, romantic silhouettes nowadays, favouring brands like SelfPortrait and ME+EM for their flattering florals and shapely ruffles.

Back in 2012, however, the mother-of-one was all about the bodycon, stunning in a cherry red dress for an appearance at Paris Fashion Week.

© Keystone

The late Queen Elizabeth II's lace dress

Believe it or not, even Her Late Majesty The Queen once wore a lace dress with an ultra-fitted silhouette. The late monarch chose this slim-fitting white lace dress for a garden party in Sydney, Australia in 1954.

© Anwar Hussein

Princess Diana's revenge dress

Arguably the most iconic bodycon dress of all time is Princess Diana's so-called 'revenge dress'. 

Her low-cut, figure-hugging mini dress, made by lesser-known Greek designer Christina Stambolian, would go on to become one of her most memorable – dubbed the 'revenge' dress – since her bombshell outing was perfectly timed with the release of Prince Charles' candid ITV interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, in which he confessed to being unfaithful during their marriage.

© SC Pool - Corbis

Princess Charlene's regal gala dress

Princess Charlene of Monaco's sartorial prowess is unmatched, particularly when there's a gala involved. 

At a gala at the Grimaldi Forum during the Monaco National Day in 2022, the platinum blonde royal opted for a regal royal blue fitted gown, which hugged her silhouette and cascaded into a fishtail skirt.

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