Members of the royal family are known for setting many a sartorial trend. Whether it was The Princess of Wales Kate reinventing the modest wedding dress or Meghan championing the coat dress, the royal stamp of approval makes for an instant classic. But what about their tastes for the ephemeral — specifically, the personal scent?
You can't see perfume or cologne, but it leaves an indelible mark on the memory. Not to mention it can elevate just about any outfit, moment, or mood. The right spritz can put a bounce in one's step or make one feel utterly sophisticated—so there's no better group of individuals to model one's fragrance tastes after than the royal family.
The Princess of Wales, Kate
For her 2011 wedding to Prince William, the Princess of Wales chose a springtime scent that was redolent with buttery white floral notes by little-known British Perfumer Illuminum.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana wore Quelques Fleurs by Houbiquant for her wedding to Prince Charles.
Much like her future daughter-in-law, Princess Diana picked a soft white floral scent for her wedding day in 1981. The late Princess of Wales wore Houbiquant's Quelques Fleurs, a sumptuous blend of tuberose, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose to marry Prince Charles.
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry also revealed his mother's favourite scent—First by Van Cleef & Arpels. In fact, the fragrance, with its notes of hyacinth, rose, jasmine, amber, and sandalwood, was so closely associated with his mother that years later, breathing in the scent during a therapy session brought memories of her flooding back.
"I read somewhere that smell is our oldest sense, and that fitted with what I experienced in that moment," he wrote, "Images rising from what felt like the most primal part of my brain."
Van Cleef & Arpels First Eau de Toilette
King Charles
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed that his father takes scent very seriously. "He was always sniffing things. Food, roses, our hair. He must’ve been a bloodhound in another life," Harry wrote. "Maybe he took all those long sniffs because it was hard to smell anything over his personal scent. Eau Sauvage. He’d slather the stuff on his cheeks, his neck, his shirt. Flowery, with a hint of something harsh, like pepper or gunpowder, it was made in Paris. Said so on the bottle. Which made me think of Mummy."
Marie Antoinette
Lubin, a storied French fragrance house (and one of the nation's oldest) uncovered a formula for the fragrance that they made for the Queen prior to her death. So in 2011 they created a reincarnation with a mix of rose, jasmine, cinnamon, incense, and sandalwood, and named it Black Jade. If wealth were a smell, it would certainly be this.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly famously wore a fragrance from Creed, a royal favourite since 1780, to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco. Her husband-to-be had in fact commissioned Fleurissimo as a wedding day gift for his bride. The aristocratic spritz dries down to a bouquet of tuberose, violet, iris, and Bulgarian rose.
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth wore Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, a spicy citrus with a powdery dry down. It's been a classic for the fragrance house ever since the scent was created in 1912.
The duch*ess of Sussex, Meghan
The duch*ess of Sussex explained that she loves fragrance so much that she has three that she alternates between, including Wild Bluebell by Jo Malone London.
FAQs
The royal family loves Floris
Receiving its first Royal Warrant from King George IV in 1820, it's currently a Perfumer to the Queen and a Manufacturer of Toilet Preparations to the Prince of Wales.
What fragrance does royalty wear? ›
The royal family loves Floris
Receiving its first Royal Warrant from King George IV in 1820, it's currently a Perfumer to the Queen and a Manufacturer of Toilet Preparations to the Prince of Wales.
What is the royals favorite perfume? ›
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth wore Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, a spicy citrus with a powdery dry down. It's been a classic for the fragrance house ever since the scent was created in 1912.
Which perfume did Princess Diana wear? ›
Princess Diana's Favorite Perfume: Penhaligon's Bluebell.
What is the Queen's mother's favorite perfume? ›
As I said in part one, Her Majesty also wears her mother's favorite perfume, L'Heure Bleue, as a tribute to her. However, the queen is also said to enjoy wearing Fleurissimo by Creed, which was created for Princess Grace for her wedding day and seems to be a favorite among many royals.
What perfume did Kate Middleton wear at her wedding? ›
For her wedding to Prince William, the now Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton, is said to have worn a springtime scent of buttery florals — White Gardenia Petals, by niche British perfumer Illuminum. The scent promptly sold out everywhere and is now quite difficult to come across.
Did Meghan Markle wear Diana's perfume? ›
Royal biographer Angela Levin claims that Meghan Markle had an insider advantage in winning Prince Harry's affection on their first date. She reportedly wore Princess Diana's favorite fragrance. In an interview for GBNews, Levin said, “The first time they met, she had Diana's perfume on.
What is Princess Kate's favorite perfume? ›
According to multiple outlets, including Harper's Bazaar and Marie Claire, Kate Middleton's signature scent is the Jo Malone London Orange Blossom Cologne. She adores this aroma so much, in fact, that the candle version was lit as she walked down the aisle during her wedding!
What cologne does Prince Charles wear? ›
Keen noses have previously associated Charles's pulse points with Creed's extravagant iris and lemon verbena Green Irish Tweed ($439, 100ml) and Parisian perfumer Annick Goutal's citrusy Eau d' Hadrien, ($249, 100ml), also favoured by the late rock star Prince.
What perfume did Grace Kelly wear? ›
Grace Kelly: Krigler Chateau Krigler 12
“She met my grandmother, who wore Chateau Krigler 12, at the hotel's teatime, and Grace immediately fell in love with the scent.” The brand calls it a “distinctively lavish perfume” with rose, mimosa, lily of the valley and white musk.
William, Prince of Wales
Although it's not been confirmed, the Prince of Wales' go-to cologne is rumoured to be Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet, £125 here, which has notes of lemon, black pepper and pine, and comes from the same brand as one of his late mum, Princess Diana's, favourite perfumes.
What is the most expensive perfume in the world? ›
1 Passant Guardant by Clive Christian – $7600 per ml/ $228,000 per bottle (30ml) Priced at $228,000, Clive Christian No. 1 Passant Guardant is the world's priciest cologne, commemorating the Salon de Parfum boutique at Harrods. It's the sole bottle allowed to feature Queen Victoria's crown, a Maison trademark.
What fragrance did Prince wear? ›
"He wore Dune all the time, so I got the scent in oil form and added a little smokiness and sweetness to it. He also liked Samsara by Guerlain, and Thierry Mugler's Angel," she says. "He loved the florals. He was also into Carolina Herrera, though he couldn't wear it around me because I'm allergic to jasmine.
What scent did Marie Antoinette wear? ›
She was said to have used fragrances to mask the odors of the court, which was notorious for its lack of hygiene. It was also a way for her to express herself and her personality. She was known for favoring floral scents, such as rose, jasmine, and lavender, and she would often have custom fragrances made for her.
What perfume did the Romanovs wear? ›
The Tsar's violets — the signature scent of not one but two Imperial Romanov rulers. How many fragrances can make that claim? Oriza L. Legrand's Violettes du Czar can — and now the imperial favorite has been brought back to life after more than 150 years to be made available to the modern man.
What fragrance does Queen Camilla wear? ›
Queen Camilla loves a scent that's as outspoken as she is
Camilla's favorite scent is Bandit by Robert Piguet ($195), created in 1944. The notes are aldehydes, galbanum, and neroli at the top. The middle notes are carnation, jasmine, and violet. The base notes finish with oakmoss, leather, vetiver, and patchouli.
