Shocking Royal Outfits That Broke the Internet
Before Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, entered the scene, royal fashion was often overlooked and stuck in tradition. Think tweed skirts, wellies, Barbour coats, and headscarves—practical but hardly thrilling. Diana changed everything with her bold, glamorous style that captivated millions worldwide. Paparazzi chased her relentlessly, capturing daring moments like the infamous see-through skirt photographed by Arthur Edwards in 1980, where her bare legs sparked a massive fashion faux pas that highlighted royal wardrobe malfunctions.
If social media had existed then, that princess Diana see-through skirt photo would have gone mega-viral and truly broken the internet. Instead, it dominated UK magazine and tabloid covers. Diana's face and name appeared daily in these publications right up until her tragic death in 1997, fueling endless royal fashion scandals.
Paparazzi documented Diana's remarkable journey from a shy nursery teacher's assistant to a global superstar and fashion icon. Despite her love-hate relationship with these photographers—who hounded her constantly and contributed to her untimely demise—they immortalized her inspiring transformation through countless viral royal moments.
Diana cleverly turned her spotlight into a platform for good, championing causes for the underprivileged and shedding light on global injustices, crises, and wrongdoings. Her influence endures, reshaping perceptions of British royal fashion fails and inspiring today's royals.
Decades after her passing, Diana's legacy thrives in noble causes and fashion innovation. Modern royals deliver stunning looks, but some opt for outlandish styles deemed tasteless or outright awful. Here are five shocking royal outfits that broke the internet, sparking debates on royal wardrobe malfunctions. Which one shocks you most?
Queen Elizabeth in a stained dress with a broken purse
Queen Elizabeth II was the epitome of perfection—or so we thought. In 2010, at a party hosted by Greece's deposed King Constantine, she appeared in a badly stained dress and a handbag with a broken chain. Despite the royal family's £510 million ($634 million) taxpayer funding, this shabby look fueled online whispers. As reported by The Guardian (theguardian.com/uk/2010), a waiter likely spilled coffee on her—what happened to them afterward remains a mystery. The broken bag? Still unexplained.
This queen Elizabeth stained dress incident had the internet buzzing: Why step out like that? It became a prime example of unexpected royal fashion scandals, reminding us even icons have off days.
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice wear outrageous fascinators
At Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2011 wedding, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice channeled fantasy with Philip Treacy fascinators. Beatrice's pastel pink sculptural piece resembled a pretzel bow, while Eugenie's evoked an exotic bird crossed with Robin Hood. These British royal fashion fails, crafted by the renowned milliner, went viral for all the wrong reasons.
No strangers to criticism, the sisters faced a torrent of memes, trolls, and bullying on social media. Vogue covered the backlash (vogue.com/article/princess-beatrice-eugenie-wedding-hats), noting the emotional toll and how these viral royal moments redefined royal headwear debates.
Meghan Markle wears ripped jeans to the Invictus Games
Meghan Markle has faced outfit scrutiny amid broader controversies. Her 2017 Invictus Games debut with Prince Harry—still in their honeymoon glow—shifted focus to frayed ripped jeans. The Sun quipped, “Is ripped-jean fan Meghan Markle shreddy to be royal?” Critics called it "messy" and pub-appropriate. But is it just ripped jeans? This invictus games controversy exemplified early racist undertones in her press coverage.
Princess Michael of Kent’s blackamoor brooch
Princess Michael of Kent's scandals peaked in December 2017 when she wore a blackamoor brooch to Buckingham Palace's Christmas lunch with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. These 17th-century items, tied to colonialism and slavery imagery, were slammed as bigoted in modern times.
Unclear if intentional, she apologized per BBC reports (bbc.com/news/uk-42405872), but context fueled outrage—her past included racist remarks like telling people of color to "go back to the colonies" and naming black sheep Venus and Serena. This princess Michael blackamoor brooch incident remains a stark royal fashion scandal.
Pippa Middleton’s figure-hugging bridesmaid dress that showed off her bum
Kate Middleton aimed to shine at her wedding, but sister Pippa stole the show with her rear-end-revealing bridesmaid dress by Sarah Burton. The clingy gown sparked spicy reactions from buttoned-up Brits. Burton later told Insider she'd add more space to avoid the "clingy" effect. Fan accounts like "Pippa Middleton Bum" and "Pippa’s Bum" emerged, turning this Pippa Middleton bridesmaid dress into an enduring viral royal moment. What outfit would you wear to a royal wedding?
