An old and very accurate saying goes, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” And these pictures illustrate that concept very well indeed. Monarchs change a lot from their first day on the throne to their last one, sometimes even in a short space of time. Looking at their faces may give you some idea of what it’s really like to be a ruler.
Edward VIII — The beginning
Edward VIII was the shortest-reigning King in modern British history. He was the monarch who chose to marry an American divorcee, a big no-no in those days, and so gave up the throne.
But he had actually been a thorn in the British government’s side right from the beginning. When touring poverty-hit villages in Wales he commented, “Something must be done.” It made politicians worry he was going to try and influence their policies.
Edward VIII — The end
Edward officially abdicated on December 11, 1936, declaring to his subjects via radio, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.” Then he ran off to marry his beloved, Wallis Simpson. This picture taken right after the speech indicates the stress he must have been under..
Mary I — The beginning
History knows Mary I as “Bloody Mary” because of the violence she unleashed on Protestants during her time as Queen. But at the beginning of her reign, she might not have been so bad.
Some historians think she wasn’t really any more cruel than other rulers of the era; she may have even disliked violence for violence’s sake. Unfortunately, though, she believed in her religion above all else.
Mary I — The end
As you can imagine, Mary’s persecution of Protestants made her very unpopular among her people. A false pregnancy she suffered in 1555 didn’t help either, as everyone around her had expected her to produce an heir.
She died in 1558 — it’s possible she had been suffering from ovarian cancer, which might have caused the phantom pregnancy — and was forever after considered one of Britain’s worst tyrants.
George V — The beginning
King George V became monarch in 1910 and led Britain through World War I. It happened right at the beginning of his reign, but luckily he proved more than capable of handling it.
Since he threw himself into the war effort, visiting the front lines and meeting wounded soldiers, he quickly commanded a lot of popularity.
George V — The end
George’s wartime injuries began to affect him in later life, although the fact that he was a heavy smoker didn’t help either. He passed away in 1936 with some pretty strong thoughts about who would replace him — he wanted his second son Albert to have the throne and eventually pass it to his own daughter, Elizabeth.
And of course, in the end his wish came true.
Henry VIII — The beginning
King Henry VIII became notorious in later life, but you’d never have guessed it from looking at pictures of him as a youngster. He took the throne when he was just 17 and at that point in his life he was considered attractive and healthy.
At first, he was the ideal husband for any aspiring Queen… except things didn’t stay that way. At all.
Henry VIII — The end
Henry infamously ended up marrying six times, and sentencing two of his wives to death. And his later spouses might have been shocked by how Henry aged from his early years.
After a jousting accident in 1536 he suffered a chronic leg injury which led to obesity and other health problems, and this contributed to his death at the age of 55.
Edward VII — The beginning
Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria, and because she reigned for so long he didn’t get much time on the throne before his death. The late monarch had thought that her heir would be a poor King, but she was wrong.
Edward was in fact pretty popular throughout most of his reign. He was a good speaker, a good negotiator, and — surprisingly for the time — was openly against racism.
Edward VII — The end
Yet things did take a turn towards the end of Edward’s life. He became embroiled in a constitutional crisis which was still going on when he passed away.
He died at the age of 68 — unfortunately, his smoking habit may have been a big factor there — and thousands of people queued up to see his coffin lying in state.
Victoria — The beginning
Queen Victoria is well cemented in popular culture as an old lady in a black dress who went around saying, “We are not amused.” But pictures from the start of her reign tell a different story. After a childhood spent under the thumb of her mother, she became Queen in 1837; the first thing she did was remove her bed from her mom’s room..
Victoria — The end
As Victoria reached the end of her life, she did indeed become that dour-looking and black-clad woman. Yet this was the result of grief more than anything else.
When her beloved husband Albert died unexpectedly in 1861 she never got over it. She wore “mourning dress” until she passed away herself in 1901 at the age of 81.
George VI — The beginning
No-one actually expected George VI to be King. He was the spare, not the heir, of George V.
But when his brother Edward abdicated, he was pushed onto the throne… and he actually did a very good job. When World War II broke out during his reign, he gained great measures of respect by remaining in Britain instead of evacuating to somewhere safer.
George VI — The end
But as you can imagine, wars aren’t conducive to a long life and neither is smoking. Unfortunately, George VI smoked a lot, and it led to lung cancer once he got older.
He died in 1952 at the age of just 56… but he did live to see his daughter Elizabeth have children of her own, the oldest of whom would also rule the United Kingdom one day.
George III — The beginning
George III lived a long life, but it wasn’t a very happy one. He declared in his accession speech, "Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Britain,” but in the end, due to circumstances beyond his control, he didn’t get much glory.
Although the government supported his reign at first, the country was soon dogged by political problems — and then lost colonies in the American War of Independence.
George III — The End
And after that came the mental illness that blighted the rest of George III’s life. To this day no-one knows what caused it.
It could have been a hereditary disorder, it could have been triggered by the death of his daughter Princess Amelia, or it could have been a combination of lots of factors. Pictures that survive from that period show the saddening impact of his affliction.
Lady Jane Grey — The beginning
Poor Lady Jane Grey only got to rule for little more than a week, which is why she’s often referred to as “The Nine Days’ Queen.” She was an unwilling pawn in a ploy to grab power after her cousin Edward VI, the brother of Mary Tudor, passed away: she didn’t even want that power! She had only been 16 at the time, and she fainted outright when she was told she would be Queen..
Lady Jane Grey — The end
You can guess what happened: Jane and her family were swiftly arrested. Allegedly Queen Mary had actually wanted to spare Jane the ax, but the political consequences of doing so would have been too great.
Jane was beheaded on February 12, 1554, at which point she was 17. Paintings exist of that horrible moment, and they portray the terror she must have felt.
Elizabeth II — The beginning
Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952 when she was just 27 years old. And she declared in her coronation speech, “I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine.
Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.” That service would last seven decades in the end.
Elizabeth II — The end
Elizabeth holds the record as the longest-serving British monarch: it’s one that seems unlikely to be broken anytime soon. And she worked right up until the very end.
The last photograph of her, taken just two days before her death, shows her with a walking stick and bruised hands, but she still had a smile on her face.
Grace Coolidge — The beginning
Ruling a country takes its toll, but so does standing beside a great leader as they do so. And thanks to the dedicated photographers of the past, we can bear witness to how history's fierce first ladies changed during their time in office.
From their first to last looks, the progression is breathtaking. Take Grace Coolidge, for example. She was one of the original First Ladies whose fashion-forward choices paved the way for the women who would follow in her footsteps. She fully embraced the Jazz Age, even if her husband didn’t approve, and was often seen in bright and bold colors. The difference in her and Calvin Coolidge’s fashion styles — and also dispositions — can clearly be seen in this photograph, taken on their way to the inauguration ceremony.
Grace Coolidge — The end
Grace Coolidge did plenty of important things during her time as First Lady and did them all while wearing the most incredible outfits. For example, here she is in the last days of her term starting a library drive while wearing a huge fur coat and a pair of high-heeled shoes.
Few people embodied the spirit of the 1920s quite like she did.
Eleanor Roosevelt — The beginning
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wore some beautiful dresses in her time, including this lovely satin gown, which she used to pose for the first ever photographs of her taken in the White House. She apparently preferred simple and unfussy outfits, not least because she was a very busy woman and liked to be able to easily switch clothes and accessories..
Eleanor Roosevelt — The end
Unfortunately, Eleanor’s time in the White House ended on a very sad note. Her husband Franklin Roosevelt died of a sudden brain hemorrhage in April 1945, and she was front and center as the American people very publicly mourned him.
She wore a face-covering veil and head-to-toe black for the funeral, because wearing anything else would most likely have been unthinkable.
Bess Truman — The beginning
Elizabeth “Bess” Truman reportedly didn’t much enjoy her husband’s time in office. And you can kind of see it on her face here at Harry S.
Truman’s first inauguration. She’s dressed very modestly, but check out her quite spectacular hat! Bess reportedly absolutely loved hats, and 55 of her best ones currently sit in the Truman Library’s collection.
Bess Truman — The end
Bess allegedly once said to Harry S. Truman’s cousin Ethel that “a woman’s place in public is to sit beside her husband, be silent, and be sure her hat is on straight.” You won’t find many women who agree with that nowadays, but Bess very much followed her own advice, as seen in this pic of her last day in office.
She’s the black-clad, stony-faced one in the middle.
Mamie Eisenhower — The beginning
If you were a First Lady prior to the 1960s, there was no question as to whether or not you’d wear a hat to your husband’s inauguration ceremony. You absolutely had to or the scandal would be dreadful.
So Mamie wore a hat, a fur coat, and a very eye-catching floral corsage. But not so eye-catching as to take attention away from the new President, of course.
Mamie Eisenhower — The end
Mamie’s last duty in office was attending the John F. Kennedy inauguration, and so she had the extremely difficult task of keeping up with Jackie fashion-wise in front of the cameras.
She acquitted herself very well, though, choosing an outfit much like her debut one: a fur coat and a hat. Sometimes you just have to stick with what you know.
Jackie Kennedy — The beginning
It was obvious from the beginning that Jackie Kennedy was going to conquer the world as First Lady. For her husband’s swearing-in ceremony she wore something that seemed so simple but in reality was carefully designed for maximum impact.
Her trademark pillbox hat and matching oversized-button coat (accounts differ as to whether it was actually blue or just appeared so in photos) cemented her place in fashion history.
Jackie Kennedy — The end
But sadly, a different hat and coat are the ones most people remember when it comes to Jackie. On November 22, 1963, she and her husband set out for Dallas, Texas.
And unbeknownst to them it was to be their last day in office. Kennedy was shot and killed, and Jackie’s beautiful pink suit was covered in blood. The image of her standing on Air Force One watching her husband’s successor be sworn in, knowing she refused to change out of her bloodstained clothes, remains heart-wrenching.
Lady Bird Johnson — The beginning
Lady Bird Johnson didn’t get a chance to pick an iconic outfit for her husband’s swearing-in ceremony. After Kennedy was killed, things plunged into utter chaos.
She stood by Lyndon Johnson’s side, wearing a dress and elegant pearls, as he took the oath of office aboard Air Force One. But when Johnson was officially inaugurated in 1965, she wore a bright red dress and hat, an ensemble not unlike the ones Jackie had made famous.
Lady Bird Johnson — The end
Lady Bird stuck with the simple coat-hat ensemble for her last day as First Lady, too. When Nixon was sworn in come 1969, she wore a fur hat and a warm coat with a high collar.
It was January, after all, so the weather was bound to be cold. The female members of the Nixon family wore similar outfits, which made for some great photographs.
Pat Nixon — The beginning
Pat Nixon spent all her time as Second Lady learning the craft of fashion, so when her time came she was ready. At her husband’s inauguration in 1969 she made sure to wear something by an American designer: it was an attractive double-breasted coat by Jay Sarnoff Custom Couture.
As a thank-you she sent the designers a signed photo and the note: “With happy memories of the 1969 Inaugural Ceremony and the pleasure of the Sarnoff design.”
Pat Nixon — The end
Of course, Richard Nixon’s time in office didn’t end anywhere near as happily as it’d begun. On August 8, 1974, he resigned, and Pat had to stand next to him as he made the announcement.
There wasn’t much of a rulebook on how to dress for that, so she chose a simple checkered dress with a white belt.
Betty Ford — The beginning
Betty Ford may not be the first person you think of when it comes to First Lady fashion. She’s better known for other (very worthwhile) things, after all.
But don’t overlook her sense of style. For her debut as First Lady after Nixon’s resignation she wore a simple yet very sophisticated powder-blue dress with white piping, and she looked great in it.
Betty Ford — The end
Ford continued to evolve her fashion sense as her term went on, wearing a patterned turtleneck dress when she bowed out in 1977. Many years later in 2022, Signe Sejlund recreated some of Ford’s looks for the show The First Lady and told The Hollywood Reporter, “She had a teeny tiny body and loved styles with a Chinese collar and a range of color, very green, orange, yellow and blue — so 1960s and 1970s.” And upon leaving office, Ford apparently became “more bohemian.”.
Rosalynn Carter — The beginning
Blue’s a popular color for First Ladies to wear at their husband’s inaugurations — especially if their husbands are Democrats. Rosalynn Carter chose a blue wool dress by Dominic Rompollo, delighting the designer.
He told The New York Times that same year that working with her was “like fitting a model you'd been working with for years. She just zipped up the dress, popped into the coat and — there it was.”
Rosalynn Carter — The end
Jimmy Carter served only one term in office before being replaced with Ronald Reagan. For her last outfit as First Lady, Rosalynn Carter wore something no-nonsense, as many of her outfits were: a collared skirt suit with an overcoat.
And since she was a big fan of reusing clothes, to the point thatsome people sneered at her for it, she almost certainly ended up wearing all those pieces again.
Nancy Reagan — The beginning
Have you ever wondered how the color red came to be associated with the modern-day Republican party? It’s actually because of First Lady Nancy Reagan. She wore so many red outfits — including her first inauguration one, which was created by Adolfo Sardinia — that the color became known as “Reagan Red.” And she stuck with it all throughout her husband’s two terms as President..
Nancy Reagan — The end
So Nancy Reagan clearly loved red, and she wore it during her last day as First Lady as well. For George H.W.
Bush’s inauguration she wore a more muted (but not by much) cranberry-colored outfit. Decades later in 2007 she explained to W magazine, “I always liked red. It’s a picker-upper. I didn’t give it the name of Reagan Red, but that became its name.”
Barbara Bush — The beginning
Just like Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush had her own color! The striking shade she wore to her husband’s inauguration was given the nickname “Bush Blue.” But perhaps the most interesting part of her debut outfit was how little she seemed to care about it. She was that rare First Lady who wasn’t actually bothered about fashion..
Barbara Bush — The end
In 1989 designer Arnold Scaasi told The New York Times, “Fashion isn’t [Barbara’s] main concern at all. She wants to look good and then forget about it.” Her last ever outfit as First Lady wasn’t even all that dissimilar from her first one.
But during her time in the White House, sales of costume jewelry pearls went up massively.
Hillary Clinton — The beginning
Perhaps you thought Hillary Clinton wore a pantsuit to her husband’s inauguration? Nope! She actually chose a very nice pink checked suit created by Connie Fails, whom Hilary commissioned a lot of her clothes from. And according to Fails, Hillary was the only woman who’d ever come into her shop and not commented negatively on her figure as she tried on clothes..
Hillary Clinton — The end
Hillary never lost that confidence — or her love of suits. For her last day on the job she chose a plaid skirt suit, though she had to cover it with a black overcoat because the weather was so bad.
Her favorite styles were mocked at the time, but she didn’t care and wore them anyway. And nowadays, of course, everyone’s wearing them.
Laura Bush — The beginning
Just like her mother-in-law Barbara, Laura Bush preferred a sharp and sensible approach to dressing. Her debut outfit was very reminiscent of Barbara’s one, too: a bright blue coat from designer Michael Faircloth.
Faircloth told NBC in 2017, “What was wonderful about Mrs. Bush was she was always very conscientious about not wanting clothes to speak loudly. She has so many things she felt were more important.”
Laura Bush — The end
Laura chose not to wear a bright color the day the Obama family moved into the White House — chances are she didn’t want to upstage the soon-to-be First Lady Michelle Obama. But she always understood the importance of fashion and its use in diplomacy.
And come 2018 she helped arrange an exhibit of First Lady outfits at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Michelle Obama — The beginning
Michelle Obama fast became one of the biggest fashion icons of all time after her husband took office. Her inauguration outfit gave a good glimpse of what was to come: it was a stunning golden-green coat and dress by Isabel Toledo.
The Guardian newspaper wrote at the time, “In her richly textured lace, and abiding by a now old-fashioned convention of a matching dress and coat, Obama appeared to be ‘channeling’ the stately look favored by Barbara and Laura Bush on state occasions.”
Michelle Obama — The end
Michelle’s last look as First Lady was described to Vanity Fair magazine as “a Jason Wu red/black mélange tweed jacquard dress with matching double-breasted coat.” In fact, Jason Wu was a big, big favorite of Michelle Obama and she helped put him on the fashion world map. She’s even wearing a Wu creation in her official White House portrait..
Melania Trump — The beginning
In the wake of the 2016 election, many designers said they wouldn’t provide outfits for Melania Trump’s public appearances. Some did, though.
Melania wore a blue cashmere Ralph Lauren dress to the inauguration, and it turned out to be a good choice for her. Harper’s Bazaar magazine wrote that it was “a nod to Jackie Kennedy's similarly ladylike ensemble during John F. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration.”
Melania Trump — The end
And Melania’s last day as First Lady was likewise fraught with controversy. She and her husband didn’t attend the inauguration of the next president and instead went to their Florida estate on Air Force One.
For their appearance at the airport Melania wore a Dolce & Gabbana dress under a Chanel jacket, plus Christian Louboutin heeled shoes — all in black.