When it comes to Halloween costumes, many of us gravitate toward popular themes like fictional characters, historical figures, or celebrities. These well-known personas provide easy access to a world of creativity, yet there’s something undeniably captivating about elevating your costume to something truly majestic. If you’re seeking to go beyond the usual and want to add a touch of royalty to your Halloween look, why not draw inspiration from the British royal family? After all, the grandeur of royal life offers endless possibilities for crafting an unforgettable costume that will make you feel like royalty, if only for a day.

10 Facts About Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated the seventieth anniversary of her ascent to the throne of the United Kingdom on 6th February 2022. Throughout the year, this platinum anniversary will be celebrated with a series of events by people the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.  She provides a measure of constancy in sometimes troubled times and a link with Britain’s past. Apart from a brief period of eleven and half years between 1649 and 1660, when England was ruled as a republic by Oliver Cromwell, the British monarchy has persisted for over a thousand years and enjoys high levels of acceptance and popularity both within these islands and around the world.  With that in mind, below are ten facts about Queen Elizabeth II.

The Platinum Club

On 6 February 2022,  Elizabeth the Second joins a select club of monarchs who have served for seventy years or more when she celebrates her platinum anniversary as Queen.  These include King Louis XIV of France (1643 – 1715), Johann II, Prince of Lichtenstein (1858 – 1929), and Bhumibol, King of Thailand (1927 – 2016).  The Queen is the longest ever serving British monarch, having passed the record of Queen Victoria (sixty-three and a half years) in 2015.

Birth

The Queen was born on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street near Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London. This house belonged to her Scottish maternal grandparents, the Earl and Countess of Strathmore but was demolished as part of the redevelopment of the area (not because of bombing during the Second World War, as is sometimes stated). At the time Elizabeth was the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who were not expected to come to the throne, her father being the younger brother of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward the Eighth. However, when Edward abdicated from the throne in 1936 in order to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson, she became the next heir to the throne after her father.

Life as a princess

Elizabeth and her sister Margaret never went to school and were both educated at home. They had a governess, Marion Crawford, who worked for her parents and supervised the education of the two young princesses. ‘Crawfie’, as she was known to the family, later wrote a book about the young princesses but was frozen out of the royal family as a result.

Wartime

King George the Sixth was the Monarch during the Second World War when it was suggested that the two princesses should be evacuated to Canada. However, to quash this suggestion, the Queen’s mother stated: ‘The children won’t go without me. I won’t leave without the King. And the King will never leave.’ Instead, the young Princess Elizabeth enrolled in the Auxiliary Territorial Service where she became a subaltern and learned how to service and repair motor vehicles such as army trucks. When the war ended in 1945 she and her sister Margaret surreptitiously mingled with the crowds outside Buckingham Palace.

British Monarchy: Princess Elizabeth in Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform, April 1945. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Marriage and family

The Queen met her second cousin Prince Philip when he showed her and Margaret around the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where he was being trained, in 1939. She decided that he was ‘the one’ for her and the couple married at Westminster Abbey in 1947. They stayed married for seventy-three years until his death in 2021 at the age of ninety-nine. The couple had four children – Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward – eight grandchildren and, at the time of writing, twelve great-grandchildren. Prince Philip was of Greek and Danish origin but he renounced his foreign titles before his marriage to Elizabeth when he also converted to Anglicanism. He smoked his last cigarette the night before his wedding and was given the rank of His Royal Highness and title Duke of Edinburgh on the day itself. 

Succeeding Her Father

The Queen came to the throne at the age of twenty-five in 1952 when she was visiting Kenya on the way to a tour of Australia and New Zealand with Prince Philip. The news of the death of her father was broken to her by her husband and the couple immediately returned to the United Kingdom. She was crowned by the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. The crown and regalia she wore on that day can be viewed at the Tower of London.

The British royal family is renowned for their attention to detail, particularly when it comes to matters of dress. From Queen Elizabeth II’s iconic crowns and tiaras to the polished uniforms of the King’s Guard at Buckingham Palace, their style sets a tone of elegance and tradition. There’s an unmistakable allure to donning these royal symbols, whether you’re channeling the regal presence of a monarch or the poise of a princess. The royal family’s signature accessories, such as sashes, fascinators, and bearskin hats, are easily recognizable and imbue any costume with an air of sophistication. By incorporating these elements into your Halloween attire, you can evoke the majesty of the monarchy while staying true to the timeless charm of British fashion.

For those who are drawn to a more playful, light-hearted approach, the royal family offers additional avenues for creative costume inspiration. Princess Diana, for instance, remains an enduring style icon, and her wardrobe provides an excellent source of inspiration for those looking to add a touch of elegance and fun to their ensemble. Diana was known for her graceful yet approachable style, which ranged from high-fashion gowns to more casual, everyday outfits. Channeling Diana’s iconic look could be the perfect way to strike a balance between sophistication and approachability, offering something both elegant and charming for your Halloween celebrations.

Another charming choice for a fun yet regal-inspired costume could be drawing from the beloved Queen Elizabeth’s corgis. These iconic pets, often seen by the Queen’s side during public appearances, embody a sense of warmth, loyalty, and British heritage. Imagine embodying the spirit of the royal corgis, adding a playful and humorous twist to your costume while still maintaining that unmistakable connection to the British monarchy. Whether it’s a cheeky nod to these furry companions or an elaborate costume that mimics their characteristics, incorporating them into your Halloween look will certainly turn heads.

Beyond these classic royal figures, you can also take a cue from the more modern iterations of royal style. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, often blends royal formalwear with accessible, everyday elegance. Her influence has ushered in a new era of royal fashion, one that merges the opulence of the monarchy with a more relaxed, approachable demeanor. A Kate Middleton-inspired Halloween costume could range from a stunning evening gown fit for a royal banquet to a more casual look suited for everyday royal engagements. Such a costume would offer both a regal and relatable touch, perfectly fitting for those who want to embody the modern monarchy without losing that air of majesty.

If your heart is set on a military-inspired look, the British royal family also offers numerous examples of elegant, formal attire with a hint of military prestige. The King’s Guard, clad in their distinguished red uniforms and towering bearskin hats, exude a sense of discipline and honor that makes for an unforgettable costume. These uniforms, while grand, also carry a sense of authority and history that ties deeply into British culture. Sporting this iconic look for Halloween would undoubtedly turn you into the epitome of royal strength and sophistication, carrying the weight of centuries of tradition while giving you a commanding presence at any Halloween gathering.

Alternatively, for those seeking a more relaxed and contemporary royal-inspired outfit, athleisure could be the perfect fit. Members of the royal family, particularly in recent years, have adopted a more casual approach to their wardrobes, especially for public appearances. Kate Middleton has frequently been spotted in stylish but comfortable attire, making athleisure a fitting and chic choice for a Halloween costume. With this modern spin on royal style, you can embody a more laid-back version of royalty, bringing a fresh perspective to the traditional royal costume.

The beauty of drawing inspiration from the British royal family for Halloween lies in the versatility it offers. Whether you gravitate toward formal, military-inspired uniforms or prefer to embody a fun, approachable royal persona like Princess Diana or the Queen’s corgis, there are endless options for creativity. You can reflect the richness of royal history or playfully inject your own interpretation of what it means to be part of this esteemed lineage.

In a broader context, the idea of using royal themes for Halloween costumes speaks to a universal desire for storytelling. Costumes have always been a form of self-expression, a way to step into different personas and weave new narratives. By drawing inspiration from the British royal family, you tap into a narrative that spans generations—a story of power, grace, resilience, and love. This connection to history, while playful in the context of a costume, also fosters a sense of engagement with the audience around you. It invites others into a shared story, giving them a glimpse into a world that is as intriguing as it is timeless.

Ultimately, as content creators, marketers, or communicators, understanding the emotional draw of these timeless stories allows us to connect on a deeper level with our audience. Whether it’s for a Halloween costume or a larger content campaign, the stories we tell—rooted in shared history and cultural significance—hold the power to captivate, engage, and inspire.