What to wear to party, according to the royals

party outfits royals
(Image credit: Getty Images)

There is absolutely no doubt the royals know how to dress up (the Queen has seven outfits for Christmas alone). From official banquets to galas and film premieres, they always follow fashion etiquette to look their best, without breaking any sartorial rules.

So if you're looking for a bit of style inspiration for the festive season, here are a few tips from Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton et al.

Royals wearing velvet dresses

You can't beat a classic black or navy velvet dress for the festive season, and don't the royals know it. There was Princess Diana's now iconic Victor Edelstein off-the-shoulder dress, which she wore to dance with John Travolta at the White House, and since then the rich fabric has been a staple amongst members of the royal family, including Meghan Markle, who wore a classic Givenchy midi dress to Royal Academy of Arts in 2018.

party outfits royals

(Image credit: 2005 Tim Graham)

Royals wearing sequin dresses

You'd think sequins aren't very regal, but you'd be wrong. Kate Middleton recently wore a green dress on a visit to Pakistan, and wore a pale pink Jenny Packham gown to a gala dinner in 2011. The Queen also has a long history of wearing embellished gowns, while Princess Diana's Dynasty phase was a force to be reckoned with.

party outfits royals

(Image credit: 2019 Karwai Tang)

Royals wearing ballgowns

Sometimes, there are occasions where a ballgown is the only option, especially if you're a royal, and we love the formality of it. Sure, they tend to be on the traditional side, but it works for a black tie event.

party outfits royals

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Royals wearing red dresses

As we all know, the Queen is a fan of bright colours (to stand out from the crowd so her team can spot her apparently), and nothing says Christmas quite like red. Other royals have followed suit, from Princess Diana to Meghan Markle.

party outfits royals

(Image credit: 2019 Pool/Samir Hussein)

Scroll through our gallery for the prettiest party dresses from the royal family.

Princess Diana at a dinner in 1995

Princess Diana at a dinner in 1995

Queen Elizabeth in Cardiff in 2005

Queen Elizabeth in Cardiff in 2005

Meghan Markle at the theatre in 2019

Meghan Markle at the theatre in 2019

(Image credit: 2019 Karwai Tang)

Princess Diana at the Diamond Ball in 1990

Princess Diana at the Diamond Ball in 1990

Princess Diana at the theatre in 1989

Princess Diana at the theatre in 1989

Queen Elizabeth at a dinner in Botswana in 1979

Queen Elizabeth at a dinner in Botswana in 1979

(Image credit: Anwar Hussein)

Kate Middleton in Jenny Packham in 2011

Kate Middleton in Jenny Packham in 2011

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kate Middleton wearing Alexander McQueen at the Sun Military Awards in 2011

Kate Middleton wearing Alexander McQueen at the Sun Military Awards in 2011

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle in Givenchy at Royal Academy of Arts in 2018

Meghan Markle in Givenchy at Royal Academy of Arts in 2018

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle at the WellChild Awards in 2018

Meghan Markle at the WellChild Awards in 2018

(Image credit: 2018 Mark Cuthbert)
Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.