The Best And Worst Looks Of Queen Rania Of Jordan

There's no doubt that Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan lives an incredibly lavish life. She lives in a palace and wears beautiful jewels. She consorts with famous and important people, and by most standards, she's a famous and important person herself. But life wasn't always so glamorous for Rania. The queen has undergone quite the stunning transformation to achieve the status she has now, and a major part of her transformation has been her style evolution.

Presently, Queen Rania is a style icon. She wears gorgeous pieces and is consistently praised for her fashion sensibilities. But Rania hasn't always had such a keen eye for fashion. Over the years, her style has changed a lot, and plenty of outfit choices have been worthy of criticism. Still, most of Rania's looks have been smashing, helping her achieve the appellation of fashionista. Take a closer look at the best and worst looks of Queen Rania of Jordan throughout the years.

In 1993, Queen Rania and King Abdullah married in a lavish wedding ceremony, and it was clear from the moment she joined the Jordanian royal family that Rania was going to become a style icon. Rania wore a custom Bruce Oldfield gown for the occasion. It featured draping and embellishment that was carried throughout, even to her shoes, and the gown came with a cropped short-sleeved jacket and matching veil. Rania accessorized with gloves and beautiful jewelry, making for a fashion moment that has yet to be forgotten.

However, Rania's fashionable evening didn't end with her first gown. The new addition to the royal family changed into a second gown for the reception, also designed by Oldfield, that mirrored the first with its fabric and embellishments but with a unique shape of its own. With her two wedding gowns, Rania joined a long list of royals who've been dressed by Oldfield, including Princess Diana, who changed royal fashion forever.

Since the beginning of her tenure as the Queen of Jordan, Rania has been deeply involved in various initiatives in her home country. Rania is particularly passionate about empowering young people, and in November 2000, she spoke at a youth gathering in Jordan to show her support for the group's goals. "I stand before you today as one of you, speaking to you as a young Arab citizen who supports your objectives. When I remember the aspirations that I held when I was your age, I find that they are the same ones we share together today," Rania said in her speech at the gathering, per her website.

While Rania's speech was powerful and uplifting, her outfit didn't quite hit the mark. Queen Rania arrived in a beige power suit with a turquoise blouse underneath. While the blouse did add a pop of color, it wasn't enough to save the dull hue and shape of the suit. But it's quite possible Rania didn't mind. Although she's become a fashion icon, style is not Rania's priority. "I am very passionate about my work, and the clothes I wear don't have any bearing on that... At the end of the day, I hope it is my work that defines me, not my wardrobe," Rania said of her style in an interview with Harper's Bazaar.

While some of Queen Rania's early style choices weren't particularly show-stopping, plenty of her outfits were worthy of praise. In September 2002, Rania attended a benefit for the Jordan River Foundation in Versailles, France. While the queen has been known to rock French designers, Rania opted for a designer a little closer to home, wearing an Elie Saab gown to the event. She paired the flattering fuchsia garment, which featured flowing fabric and sequin embellishments, with striking earrings and a sparkly purse, making for a moment early in Rania's reign that signaled what type of fashion choices she was going to continue making.

Rania wore the design of a Lebanese designer to Versailles, and she has worn clothes designed by other Middle Eastern designers, too. For example, Rania wore an outfit created by another designer from Lebanon in 2022 when she and her husband traveled to the Vatican to meet with the pope. The queen has been lauded for her thoughtful fashion choices. "By incorporating elements of her host country's culture into her outfits, she signals respect and builds a visual bridge between Jordan and the nations she visits, intertwining modern elegance with cultural heritage," royal stylist Georgie Pincus said to the Daily Mail of Rania's choices.

Queen Rania never expected to become queen. When she married her husband, King Abdullah II, he was a prince, and he was not the heir apparent. All that changed just a few years into their marriage, and before she knew it, Rania had become queen consort and was thrust into a role that comes with major responsibility and scrutiny. When Rania became queen, she shocked the world with how relaxed she was in her role, driving herself to appointments and consorting among citizens in the street, something rarely seen done by dignitaries from other countries across the world. "This is the way I've always done it," Rania said in an interview for "60 Minutes." "There's never been a sense of threat. We've never worried about safety. I always feel like I'm amongst friends or family here."

Another aspect of her reign that was noticeably relaxed was Rania's style. While she's never dressed inappropriately, Rania hasn't always dressed so impeccably, either. For example, while attending a military event in Jordan in 2002, Rania opted for a beige ruffled blouse and a black and white pinstripe jacket. The outfit was quite casual for the event, and it wasn't particularly stylish, either. In retrospect, this was a fashion moment before Rania had totally figured out her personal style and which designers she should regularly work with.

As Queen Rania's status as a global fashion icon has grown, she's gotten the opportunity to show off her stylish sensibilities on bigger stages. In 2016, for example, Rania attended the Met Gala in New York City, a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, which has been dubbed "fashion's biggest night" because of the stunning and sometimes outrageous outfits that guests wear. The year Rania attended, the event's theme was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology." The royal met the theme by way of a Valentino gown replete with studded tulle that brushed her taupe heels. Rania fit right in with the rest of the fashionistas at the event, certainly representing her country well. The queen had also attended the event previously, in 2007.

Rania wasn't the first royal to have attended the Met Gala, and she wasn't the last. Though, generally speaking, royals from around the world haven't proven to be consistent guests, plenty have made an appearance or two. In 1995, for example, Princess Diana arrived looking chic in a Dior slip dress designed by John Galliano. Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece attended the event that same year, as she did in 1999 and 2001. Princess Beatrice made her debut at the Met Gala in 2018, and the public only wonders when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will attend.

Personal style takes years to cultivate, and it can change depending on life's different stages. Queen Rania knows this to be true, and she's come to feel confident dressing a certain way. "But for me, I think, as with every other woman, your clothes are an expression of yourself and of how you feel, and I have found that, over the years, I've gotten comfortable with a particular style," Rania said in an interview with Elle, per her website.

Like with most people, Rania had some misses in her style evolution. For example, before becoming queen, Rania attended an event with her husband and brother-in-law, and her outfit didn't even closely resemble something she'd wear today. Rania was clad in light beige pants and a cream jacket, the latter of which had a floral pattern that aged her. While Rania looked beautiful, her clothes were a bit of a distraction.

Over the years, Queen Rania has incorporated more and more unique patterns into her wardrobe. While she still favors a solid garment or a color-blocked outfit, Rania will step outside her comfort zone every now and again when it comes to patterns, especially when dressing for a major event. For example, in 2016 (a good fashion year for Rania), Jordan's queen accepted the Golden Heart Award from the Berlin-based charity organization A Heart For Children, and Rania wore a full-length gown with a geometric pattern. The gown was louder than what Rania typically wears, but she wore it well, perfectly accessorizing and styling the garment.

The night wasn't just special for Rania because of the dress she wore — the royal gave a speech to accept her award, and she noted how honored she was to be the recipient. Rania also shared some of the inspiration she's found in working with children across the world. "The words I heard, over and over, were not words of despair. I heard about plans and dreams — to study, to play, to become doctors, teachers or humanitarians," Rania said about visiting with children in need (via YouTube). "Tonight, let us say to children everywhere: we see you. And tomorrow, and all the tomorrows that follow, let us work tirelessly to open our hearts and keep their hope alive," she added.

Queen Rania's style has become so chic that she's even able to make a splash in France. In 2019, Rania traveled with her husband to the fashionable country to visit with Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron, the president and first lady of France, respectively. While news of the meeting between the state heads made news, the bigger headline was what Queen Rania wore — an all black leather look from Ermanno Scervino. The ensemble, which was featured in the designer's spring/summer 2019 collection, was comprised of a soft peplum top and pleated leather skirt, which Rania stylishly paired with a pair of black pumps and a quilted black purse.

While Rania is known for her style, so is Brigitte, and the two ladies have had more fashionable moments together since 2019. In 2024, the families met again, and both Rania and Brigitte looked impossibly chic. Rania arrived in a green and black Elie Saab dress and a pair of white Jimmy Choo pumps, while Brigitte kept things classic with a white suit set featuring a double-breasted blazer and matching skirt, as well as white pumps. The duo proved that politics and fashion are as intertwined as ever.

Throughout her career, Queen Rania has become known for her suits. The style maven can often be found in this outfit type and, usually, her choices are fashion-forward. For example, in 2023, Rania attended a summit in Belfast where she donned a chic over-sized gray suit that she matched with sleek gray pumps and dazzling jewelry. In 2024, Rania wore a black power suit while working in Jordan and made a statement thanks to the cropped jacket and high-waisted pants with stirrups. Rania's got 20 years worth of other examples of her love for a good suit.

Not every suit that Rania has worn has been quite so elevated, though. In 1999, Rania and King Abdullah II joined some British aristocrats in London for a luncheon, and the queen's suit wasn't quite what her fans have come to expect from her now. Rania was dressed in a silver suit with a jacket and matching dress underneath, and the combination of pieces made her look a bit dowdy. If Rania were to wear it again today, she would probably have the outfit tailored to fit better and make some more intriguing choices for styling it.

It's part of Queen Rania's duties as a royal to visit with royals from other countries on occasion. In 2020, Rania and her husband welcomed members of the royal family from Norway — King Harald and Queen Sonja — to Jordan. The Norwegians' visit consisted of some private meetings, a conference, and a banquet, and at every event, Rania was the best dressed. Queen Rania was dressed particularly well at the banquet, wearing a bronze top and a striking blue skirt. The colors complemented each other well, making Rania stand out among the rest of the guests.

The outfit Rania wore was a particularly good showcase of her commitment to dressing modestly. Throughout her time as queen, Rania has remained steadfast in her boundaries for what she will and won't wear, but rarely has she sacrificed style. "I am also very mindful that I have a duty to represent my country well. So, rather than follow the latest trends, I aim to dress in a way that reflects who I am," Rania said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. "I find that I'm most comfortable in modest wear — partly because of my position, but mostly because it feels right for me, as a woman," she said.

It's always important for the mother of the groom to be dressed well at his wedding, but it's especially important if the groom is a crown prince and the mother is a queen. Luckily for Crown Prince Hussein, his mother, Queen Rania, knows how to dress, and she wore a gorgeous gown to his wedding to the stunning Princess Rajwa. Hussein's wedding included a formal ceremony and a reception, and Queen Rania wore separate outfits for both events. For the ceremony, Rania wore a dazzling Elie Saab gown, but it was her Dior dress for the reception that truly stole the show. Rania's Dior piece was made of black fabric with embroidery on the sleeves, neck, and back, and it was one of her best looks ever.

Those who are not familiar with Queen Rania's typical style of dress might have wondered why she opted against wearing a hijab to her son's wedding, as it is a traditional garment in the Muslim religion, which she practices, and is often worn by women at Muslim weddings. Rania has been very clear about her stance on hijabs in the past, which likely influenced her decision to forego one at Hussein's wedding. "I feel that it's wrong to try to deal with our differences by trying to impose homogeneity. Many women in my country wear the hijab, and you'll also find many women dressed like me. It just baffles me sometimes that there's a huge debate about an issue that should really be a non-issue," Rania told The Times.

When one royal around the world is celebrating a milestone, it's typical to see royals from other countries join the festivities, too. When King Charles III officially became the monarch of his kingdom, many royals were in attendance for the ceremony, including King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. While Abdullah sported a black suit, Rania opted for a decidedly British ensemble — a monochromatic spring buttercup look with a midi dress and hat. The royal looked so posh that she could've fit right in with the Windsors.

Very few people around the world, royal or otherwise, have had the opportunity to witness such an event as the coronation of a British monarch. Rania took advantage of the opportunity, soaking up every detail and sharing what she witnessed in later interviews. "The coronation was, of course, steeped in tradition, but I was very impressed with how King Charles put his own stamp on the events," Rania said of the coronation to People. "Beyond the ceremony itself, the entire weekend served as a lovely celebration of all things British." She added, "It was impossible not to be moved by the significance of the moment and the sense that we were bearing witness to the beginning of a new era for the United Kingdom."