Often fondly dubbed the Queen of Recycling, Princess Anne is famous for her timeless wardrobe filled with pieces she gives new life to decades later.
And Wednesday evening certainly showcased this approach at its finest, with the princess opting to wear a glamorous coat she had previously worn a staggering 57 years ago.
The Princess Royal, 75, entered Windsor’s St George’s Hall dressed in a floor-length, cream-coloured coat to attend a banquet hosted by King Charles to honour the first Nigerian state visit in almost 40 years.
Yet eagle-eyed royal onlookers noted this was actually the same garment she donned aged 18 in June 1969 while attending the London premiere of Run Wild, Run Free.
Nearly six decades on, dressmakers appeared to have made a number of tweaks to the dress, including alterations to the collar, which was replaced with a more traditional shape and plain material.
Anne also paired the coat with another Royal Family heirloom piece – a City of London diamond choker which was previously gifted to Queen Mary and remains largely unseen in the public realm.
Yet this historic look is not the first time thrifty Anne has opted for a striking royal re-wear, with the princess often celebrated for her commitment to rewearing and repurposing her favourite pieces.
Speaking once about her approach to fashion, Anne remarked: ‘A good suit goes on forever. If it is properly made and has a classic look, you can wear it ad infinitum. The economy was bred into me.’
Here, The Daily Mail revisits 10 of Anne’s greatest royal rewears – from glamorous skirts and coats to safari-style trousers and embellished gowns:
On Wednesday evening, Anne re-wore the same coat she first wore in 1969
1. Glamorous lilac coat
Anne wore this lilac coat on at least six royal engagements between 1982 and 2004
A fond favourite of Anne’s, the princess has worn this lilac coat on at least six royal engagements between 1982 and 2004.
She first debuted the stylish jacket, fit with a John Boyd veiled hat, when she welcomed Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for a state visit in 1982.
Then, the following year, she re-wore it for the unveiling of the Mountbatten Memorial Statue in London, subsequently followed by an appearance in 1988 to launch the sumbarine HMS Talent.
The jacket was once again spotted during the 1992 Commonwealth Day service with her first husband Mark Philips, and for a visit to Greenwich’s Royal Navy College in 1997.
She opted once again for the gorgeous jacket for Christmas Day in 2001, 2004 and 2013, even pairing it with the same hat and gloves.
2. 70s style safari-style trousers
In November, Anne rewore a classic 70s safari-style trouser suit a staggering 52 years on from its royal debut. Pictured in 1973 (left) and in 2025 (right)
Anne opted to rewear these classic safari-style trousers a staggering 52 years on from their royal debut in November during a visit to the Airbus Asia training Centre in Singapore.
The outfit was first unveiled by the late Queen’s daughter on July 20th 1973 when she and her then fiancée, Captain Mark Phillips, attended Guards Polo Club at Smith’s Lawn, Windsor. Anne would have been just 22 at the time.
She later re-selected the outfit for another public outing in July 1975 when she flew back to the UK from an equestrian event in the US.
On all three occasions she settled it with smart, but sensible, flat brown loafers.
Cleverly, however, she has styled it differently each time, wearing the jacket with bare arms in 1973, over a crisp white shirt in 1975 and then this week over a striped shirt with elbow-length sleeves and ditching the belt.
3. Pink satin dress
Anne wore her striking satin dress to the 1984 Bafta Awards (left) and the 2001 Save The Children Festival (right)
When Anne attended the 1984 Bafta Awards at Grosvenor House Hotel, she made a bold statement in a satin gown, featuring voluminous puff sleeves and a houndstooth-printed skirt.
In a remarkable fashion statement, Anne re-wore the stunning pink gown in 2001 during the Save The Children Festival.
However, in an attempt to re-vamp the look, the princess redesigned the sleeves to make it more appropriate for the decade.
4. White retro evening gown
At a royal State Banquet in December 2024, Anne opted for a retro evening gown and jacket that she was first seen wearing 39 years ago
At a royal State Banquet in December 2024, Anne opted for a retro evening gown and jacket that she was first seen wearing 39 years ago.
The heavily embroidered white outfit features huge puffed shoulders, a V neckline, and nipped-in waist so loved by style icons of the Eighties.
It seems to be something of a favourite, having been worn by the Princess Royal to the State Opening of Parliament in 1985, and then two years later, to a State Banquet to honour King Fahd of Saudi Arabia at Claridges.
She would have been 35 at the time of the first engagement – and still boasts the same enviable figure at the age of 74.
5. Navy blue tartan jacket
Princess Anne revived a stylish outfit more than five decades later – opting for a navy tartan jacket in 2025 that was near identical to the one she wore in February 1970
When Anne joined players on the pitch at Murrayfield for the Scotland v Italy Six Nations match in February 2025, she was typically elegant in a double-breasted jacket in navy blue tartan and matching wide-leg trousers.
Yet eagle-eyed royal fans would have noticed that the ensemble she chose for the high profile sporting event in Edinburgh was, at the very least, inspired by an outfit she wore five decades ago.
In fact, Anne’s navy tartan jacket was almost identical to the one that the princess wore in February 1970 when she would have been just 19 years old.
In a photo with her brother Charles, who had one year earlier been invested as the Prince of Wales, Anne is wearing a very similar double-breasted jacket with large lapels – the only difference being that the buttons are gold.
While she added a teal scarf in 2025, as a young woman she chose a patterned silk scarf to compliment the navy shade.
6. Yellow floral wrap dress
Anne wore her Maureen Baker floral print dress to royal weddings in 1981 (left) and 2008 (right)
The Princess Royal has worn this floral print dress by Maureen Baker for two royal weddings – 27 years apart.
Anne debuted the wrap dress, adorned with orange tulips and ruffles, at the wedding of her brother, Prince Charles, to Princess Diana in 1981.
She added pearl jewellery and a John Boyd floral hat in complementary tones.
Almost three decades later, Anne re-wore the look to the 2008 wedding of her cousin, Lady Rose Windsor, to George Gilman at the Queen’s Chapel in London.
7. Lavender gown
Princess Anne demonstrated her fearless fashion sense in this embellished gown, worn in 1989 (left) and 2005 (right)
The Princess demonstrated her fearless fashion sense in this embellished lavender gown.
In 1989, she wore the vivid design to an event at the Royal Albert Hall, marking the 70th anniversary of the Save the Children fund.
The royal swapped her velvet choker for a three-strand pearl necklace when she re-wore the dress to Grosvenor House in 2005.
8. Blue fur-trimmed coat
Debuted in 1976, Anne re-wore her fur-trimmed coat in 1983 (left) and 2012 (right)
Looking every inch the pretty Princess in 1976, Anne paired her winter warmer coat with a black clutch, black Yvette Jelfs hat and trusty patent boots.
There was a hint of white wool scarf and her classic Grima pearls glistened in her ears. In 1983, Anne returned to the outfit for a meeting with church dignitaries, adding a silver brooch.
A blue scarf and bag were the only changes in 2003, and she sported the look twice more for Christmas services at Sandringham.
By 2008, she upgraded her knee-high boots and added a new hat, repeating this combination in 2012.
9. Pale printed skirt suit
At Royal Ascot in 1988, Anne opted for this pale printed skirt suit. A Maureen Baker number, it was topped with a pillbox hat with net trim, and paired with nude shoulder bag and court shoes
At Royal Ascot in 1988, Anne opted for this pale printed skirt suit. A Maureen Baker number, it was topped with a pillbox hat with net trim, and paired with nude shoulder bag and court shoes.
Pearl earrings and a triple-strand pearl necklace, made by Anglo-Italian jeweller Andrew Grima, added a regal finish.
Four years later, Anne wore the same outfit to the wedding of Lady Helen Windsor and Tim Taylor. She then amended the jewellery at Ascot in 1994 and, for a VE Day commemoration in 1995, carried white gloves, removed her hat netting, and added a looser necklace.
At the Royal Ascot in 2014, she again favoured triple-strand pearls and her one concession to the passing of the years was a longer hemline on her skirt. It came after a 19-year hiatus from the historic look.
10. Military-style cream and navy coat
Princess Anne has worn her smart cream and navy coat eight times over the years
Anne has worn this smart ensemble eight times over the years.
She first sported the military-style cream coat with cap and bag, shoes and gloves in 1980.
The outfit could be considered mannish — but for the pretty pink rose and feather in her cap. Pearl earrings and Grima brooch added sparkle. It was deja-vu in 1985 and 1988.
By 1990, at a rainy Royal Ascot, Anne moved her brooch to the centre of her coat. The look — minus umbrella — returned in 2011 for the Duke Of Edinburgh’s 90th birthday.
She updated her headwear with feathers and bows at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2015, before repeating the flawless ensemble for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2018.
