Pink is one of the colors most closely associated with princesses and Britain's roll call of royals over the past decades have often affirmed that association through their widely observed and highly sought-after wardrobes.
Queen Elizabeth II famously adopted her "rainbow" approach to fashion, often wearing bold pinks, reds and purples for official engagements, appealing to her "I have to be seen to be believed" mantra when amongst a crowd.
Princess Diana owned several pink dresses, suits and separates in varying shades from hot to baby, and her love for the color has been carried on by her two daughters-in-law, Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.
Pink is experiencing a renaissance in 2023, with the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie bringing the iconic "Barbie pink" color palette to the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist once again.
As the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, hits theaters on July 21, Newsweek looks at a collection of the British royals' top "Barbie pink" fashion highlights.
Kate Wearing The Vampire's Wife
One of the royal family's biggest fans of pink is Kate, the Princess of Wales, who over the past two years has debuted a number of new fashion looks in varying shades of the color.
One of Kate's most memorable recent pink fashion moments came during her 2022 tour of the Caribbean with Prince William to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. For an evening reception at the ruins of Cahal Pech in Belize, the princess wore a glittering "Barbie pink" gown from designers, The Vampire's Wife.
The full-length gown featured a fluted skirt, covered belt detail and flutter-capped sleeves which the royal styled with a sleek modern hairstyle and statement handbag.
Kate Wearing Alexander McQueen
One of Kate's go-to fashion staples in recent years has been a classically tailored pant suit in varying styles and colors. One of her most stand-out suits was designed by the team behind her 2011 wedding dress and a number of her high-profile event-wear pieces at Alexander McQueen.
Kate has worn her blush pink McQueen pantsuit on a number of public outings over the past year, most recently for a visit to London's Foundling Museum in May.
Meghan Wearing Carolina Herrera
During her time in the royal spotlight which began with her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017, Meghan Markle has worn only a small number of pink ensembles, opting mainly for neutral tones in beiges and nudes punctuated with event looks in the red and blue color palettes.
One standout pink fashion moment debuted by Meghan at an official royal event was made for her first Trooping the Colour celebrations as a member of the monarchy. For the event, which celebrates the sovereign's official birthday each June, Meghan wore a standout pale pink outfit by Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera.
Meghan Wearing Staud
One of Meghan's more recent pink fashion moments took place in April as she joined husband, Harry, and the staff of their U.S.-based Archewell organization for a trip to see the L.A. Lakers at the Crypto.com arena.
For the occasion, Meghan wore a new coordinating suit in pink linen with an oversized, soft-tailored aesthetic and short pants. The royal accessorized her look with her loved gold Cartier tank watch and stacked bracelets.
Princess Diana Wearing Victor Edelstein
Of all the royals over the past century, perhaps none wore more pink looks than Princess Diana, as the color perfectly complimented her large blue eyes and her favored diamond and sapphire jewelry.
One of Diana's most popular hot pink looks was worn in 1983 during an official visit to Australia with then Prince Charles (later King Charles III). For an evening gala in Brisbane, the princess wore a striking pink gown featuring banded layers of tulle down the bodice and thin shoulder straps topped with oversized matching bows.
The designer for the dress was British couturier Victor Edelstein, who designed a number of Diana's most famous pieces of evening wear throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Princess Diana Wearing Versace
Before her death at the age of 36 from injuries sustained in a Paris car crash, Princess Diana had made a number of friends in the fashion and design worlds, with one of her closest being the Italian designer Gianni Versace.
Diana favored Versace's elegant women's tailoring with his added touch of modern flare, and in 1995 the designer based his spring collection on the royal and her aesthetic.
"In 1995, my brother dedicated a collection to the princess, calling it 'Conservative Chic,'" Donatella Versace said after Diana's death, which occurred a few weeks after Gianni Versace's murder.
"The look was epitomized by the slim knee-length shift dress in a pastel color that the princess liked to wear as she changed into a modern, independent, stylish woman. Those dresses emphasized her silhouette and slim figure. She was a woman who moved with the times and understood what suited her."
From this collection, Diana ordered a striking pink suit said to have been in part inspired by Jackie Kennedy's pink suit worn the day of her husband's assassination in 1963. The princess wore it during an official visit to Argentina at the end of 1995 and again on subsequent official engagements.
Queen Elizabeth II Wearing Angela Kelly
Queen Elizabeth II's style choices were being reported in the fashion press way into her 10th decade, with her famous "rainbow" wardrobe of colorful coats and dresses worn with matching hats ensuring she was visible to the thousands who would come to see her at official events.
Pink was a color regularly worn by the queen over the course of her reign, with the monarch sporting a number of vibrant shades during her final years. One memorable hot pink look was worn to the 2017 Royal Ascot, which consisted of a wool-blend coat worn over a printed day dress and matched with a floral embellished hat.
The designer of the queen's outfit was her close aide and dresser, Angela Kelly.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
