There are few occasions on which one would want to look smarter than when being anointed by the King.

An investiture is, after all, no ordinary trip to the Palace. It is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, when an entire career is distilled into a few minutes in front of the monarch.

So surely this is the moment to pull out the sartorial stops? The perfect suit. The immaculate coat dress. The just-so hat. The right shoes and jewellery and, above all, the ability to strike that balance between looking suitably grand and trying much too hard.

For when you are being honoured by King Charles, the last thing you want is for your outfit to upstage the medal.

And while some recipients have understood the assignment perfectly, from Dame Anna Wintour’s immaculate grey Alexander McQueen suit to Dame Joan Collins’s old-school Hollywood glamour, others have veered into shapeless mother-of-the-bride territory, clunky or garish footwear and over-the-top fascinators.

From Chanel chic to trainers, bodycon dresses to birdcage veils, we cast our expert eye over the regal highs and laughable lows of investiture style.

Penny Lancaster and Sir Rod Stewart

Sir Rod Stewart may have sung that blondes have more fun but the joke was on Penny Lancaster when the couple attended Buckingham Palace to collect his knighthood in 2016.

The former model, then 45, wore an A-line skirt with a pink floral motif and matching pink fur stole over a black lace top, finished with strappy patent heels.

There was simply too much going on. The youthful combination of fluffy pink fur, floaty skirt and stilettos felt oddly try-hard rather than sophisticated.

Dame Twiggy Lawson

She may have been the face of fashion in the Sixties, but Dame Twiggy appeared to have lost some of her Midas touch by the time she received her damehood in 2019.

Her white trouser suit and matching brogues, offset by an oyster-coloured fascinator, looked oddly gaudy and disjointed.

And while trouser suits can look fabulous with the right accessories, this one proved that a hat does not automatically make the look.

Dame Emma Thompson

Award-winning actress Dame Emma Thompson found herself on the receiving end of a fashion backlash when she collected her damehood in 2018 wearing a teal suit and trainers.

Even though she later insisted they were ‘posh trainers’, the combination was a sartorial no-no.

Because no matter how expensive the suit, trainers inevitably take the formality down a notch. The message? ‘I started to make an effort- and then I got bored.’

John Galliano

There is a time and a place to make an avant-garde fashion statement, even if you are one of the world’s most famous fashion designers. Bowing before the Queen is not it.

Yet John Galliano took the opportunity to push the boundaries when he collected his MBE in a morning suit, without a shirt underneath in 2001.

Just because you make beautiful clothes doesn’t mean you should stick your bare neck out.

Mel B

She can always be relied upon to sprinkle a little Spice on proceedings – but Mel B’s palace look was more office party than royal occasion.

The singer wore a scarlet bodycon dress when she collected her OBE in 2022 but the figure-hugging style felt too casual and clubby for the Palace.

A smart shawl or tailored blazer could have elevated the look, while the cut-out detailing around the décolletage did little to add sophistication.

Lesley Manville

Celebrated actress Lesley Manville was not exactly a contender for best dressed when she collected her OBE in 2022.

Her mint and cream skirt suit, complete with an oversized hat featuring a large maple-leaf-like design, looked more suited to an event at the Canadian Embassy.

The whole effect was rather reminiscent of drawing-room curtains, while the unusual button detailing left the outfit looking fussy and confused.

Lorraine Kelly

Lorraine Kelly didn’t get it wrong exactly when she collected her CBE in 2021. It was more a case of getting it slightly, well, dated. 

Her shapeless coat dress and curly fascinator felt rather old-ladyish.

As the queen of daytime television, the 66-year-old – who has aged like a fine wine – would have benefited from something a little sharper and more tailored to flatter her wee Scottish frame.

Dame Priti Patel

There’s pretty in pink – and then there’s looking like a giant Quality Street. Dame Priti Patel turned heads for the wrong reasons when she was made a dame in 2023.

The buttoned-up collar and floaty A-line coat dress had more than a hint of Nineties public-school headmistress at an open day.

Celia Imrie

She may be one of Britain’s finest actresses, but Celia Imrie looked like a fashion flashback from the Eighties when she collected her honour in 2024.

Her swirling turquoise coat, feathered sleeves, black trousers and patent boots all felt distinctly dated. And the blue rose fascinator? More museum exhibit than millinery masterpiece.

Sir Kevin and Jayne Sinfield

Sir Kevin Sinfield and his wife Jayne are living proof that behind every go-getting man is a very stylish woman.

The rugby ace’s wife stormed the style stakes in a quintessential navy Self-Portrait suit, complete with a classic Chanel bag and matching hat with birdcage veil.

Understated yet unmistakably chic, it was the perfect look for mingling with the great and good at Windsor Castle.

Keira Knightley

You can rarely go wrong with Chanel – and Keira Knightley certainly didn’t when she collected her OBE in 2018.

The actress wore a belted cream and yellow Chanel suit with a matching hat, proving that cool, understated British elegance is often the best approach.

With its below-the-knee hemline and easy sophistication, it was the perfect outfit for the occasion.

Dame Joan Collins

Dame Joan Collins rarely puts a foot wrong, and her style is always unapologetically Joan.

The 93-year-old brought some old-school glamour to Buckingham Palace when she was made a dame in 2015.

In a striking black-and-white ensemble, long black gloves, Chanel bag and birdcage hat, she looked every inch the Hollywood star.

Dame Vivienne Westwood

Always at the forefront of fashion, the late Dame Vivienne Westwood had photographers doing a double take when she collected her damehood.

Her tailored grey suit was understated at first glance but the devil was in the detail, not least the fact she was wearing no knickers.

With her matching hat and patent black shoes, the seemingly simple outfit became a masterclass in Westwood-style provocation. When you strip away the colour and fuss, it is the cut that matters.

Dame Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley channelled Queen Camilla for the day she became a dame in 2022, choosing a hot-pink coat dress and stylish hat that captured the occasion perfectly.

The Sixties model showed just a hint of her famously endless legs, offset by elegant cream court shoes. She simply never gets it wrong.

Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan was the epitome of understated British style in an ivory hourglass jacket, black pleated trousers and dark glasses.

The 41-year-old actress, married to Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford, brought her slightly dressed-down rock ’n’ roll sensibility to the Palace – and carried it off with glorious aplomb.

Tess Daly

She may have stepped down as the face of Saturday-night television, but Tess Daly still brought the wow factor to Windsor when she collected her OBE for services to television in November 2025.

The 57-year-old looked every inch the elegant woman in a bodycon cape dress and matching birdcage hat, finished with fine jewellery and chic designer shoes. Tess is a woman who has managed to look fabulous at every age.

Emma Raducanu

It was game, set and match for Emma Raducanu when she collected her MBE for services to sport in a striking Dior ensemble in 2022.

The 23-year-old wore an asymmetric black silk-lace dress with a saddle belt and stylish boater hat.

The dramatic, Spanish-inspired look was finished with Dior Idyll block-heel pumps-proving the tennis ace has an eye for a great look as well as the ball.

Johnnie Boden

Think pink. That was clearly Johnnie Boden’s thought when he collected his CBE from Prince William in 2023.

As the founder of the Boden fashion brand, he was never likely to let the opportunity for a fashion statement pass him by.

And while pink may not be the conventional choice for an investiture, Mr Boden’s colourful suit, teamed with green-rimmed glasses worthy of Elton John, made for a decidedly dapper look.

The Beckhams

Most people in the public eye have had an off day. But in three decades of showbusiness, it is fair to say the Beckhams have rarely put a sartorial foot wrong.

Lady Beckham honoured the solemnity of the occasion in a midnight-blue dress of her own design, featuring split flutter sleeves and ruched detailing at the waist, topped with a striking netted fascinator.

Meanwhile, Sir David paid tribute to King Charles’s love of fine tailoring in a three-piece suit designed by his wife. What a stylish pair.

Davina McCall

Davina McCall looked fabulous in a sophisticated navy floral Rebecca Vallance dress and an arch-shaped fascinator by Camilla Rose Millinery.

And, refreshingly, the 58-year-old was quick to give the credit to her stylist, Abigail White, for pulling the look together.

Emilia Clarke

She became a household name as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, but Emilia Clarke proved she was every inch the leading woman when she collected her MBE from Prince William in 2024.

The 39-year-old wore a Chanel haute couture look straight from the runway, delivering exactly the kind of polished glamour expected at the Palace.

She was also honoured for her work with charity SameYou, which she founded after suffering brain haemorrhages in 2011 and 2013.

Imelda Staunton

Quite apart from the slightly scruffy black boots, Imelda Staunton got the balance just right when she accepted her damehood in 2024.

The diminutive actress looked fabulous in a sheer floral frock with black lace detailing.

Famous for being a character actress rather than a conventional glamour girl, the 70-year-old looked wonderfully unfussy- and entirely herself.

Dame Anna Wintour

Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour told King Charles she had no intention of stopping work when she was made a Companion of Honour for her services to fashion in 2025.

And the 76-year-old showed no signs of handing back her crown as the queen of style.

In her signature black shades, Alexander McQueen grey suit and chic amethyst necklace, Dame Anna delivered a masterclass in dressing for the occasion.

Clean lines. Nothing too tight. The perfect hemline. No distracting frills or fussy details.

It may seem like an impossible standard to reach, but there is a lesson in Dame Anna’s look for us all: at the Palace, less really can be more.