Why the Queen Wore Lime Green to the Royal Wedding

The Queen's choice of a green outfit for the royal wedding today was correctly predicted by British bookmakers earlier this week.

Famed for her vibrant block color ensembles, Prince Harry's grandmother wore a lime colored silk tweed coat with frogging detail by Stewart Parvin, over a floral dress, also of Parvin's design. The designer described it as a "delicately flared dress in lime, lemon. purple and gray printed silk."

The Queen wears bright colors so well-wishers can spot her in a crowd.

The hat was a custom creation by Angela Kelly, the Queen's official dressmaker. In the same shade of green as the coat, it featured a purple flower on its brim, coordinating with the purple floral print of the Queen's dress. The ensemble was accented by a brooch known as the Richmond Diamond, Anello and Davide block-heel pumps, and a Launer bag.

The Queen also chose a citrussy color for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011, opting for yellow. At Prince Charles's wedding to Diana in 1981, she wore a bold teal blue pleated dress and matching hat.

The Queen at William and Catherine's wedding, 2011

The Queen's choice of bold colors is about more than making a fashion statement, though. In the documentary The Queen at 90, the Countess of Wessex explained: "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen.' Don't forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen's hat as she went past."

It seems green was a popular choice at today's royal wedding. The bride's mother, Doria Ragland, wore a pistachio Oscar de la Renta look, while Pippa Middleton wore a pale green floral dress.

Tamara Abraham is a UK-based journalist and the former Managing Editor at Business of Fashion. She spent six years in New York where she launched and ran the fashion and lifestyle team at Dailymail.com. Now back in her native London, she writes on fashion, lifestyle and royals for publications including Grazia, the i Paper, and of course, BAZAAR.com. 

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