The Queen in trousers - all the times the royal has worn trousers

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How many times have you seen her Majesty the Queen step out in a pair of trousers? Not many. In fact, the Queen hasn't worn trousers in public for eight years. The Monarch favours dresses or skirts for her formal engagements and is known for her love of bright colours with matching hats and coats. When the Queen has decided to wear trousers, it is normally during her private time for leisure activities, sport or on holiday.

According to tradition, royal women usually wear skirts or dresses while on duty. The Duchess of Cambridge seems to follow the Queen's lead with this and is rarely pictured in trousers. Meghan Markle, meanwhile, has taken more of a modern stance and has already worn trousers on official engagements with Prince Harry.

Here we see a young Princess Elizabeth, then aged 14, with her sister Princess Margaret back in 1940 at Windsor Castle. The pair look very stylish in their jodhpurs which taper at the calf as they pick daffodils.

Click through the photo gallery to see all the times the Queen has worn trousers…

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Her Majesty looked elegant in some slim-fit black trousers back in 1970. She was on a royal tour of New Zealand with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

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A rare photo of the Queen in beige trousers during a safari with Prince Phillip in 1979. The couple were on a state visit to Zambia.

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The Queen is known for her love of horse riding and here she is in 1982 wearing jodhpurs while riding her horse Burmese in Windsor Great Park with President Reagan.

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The Monarch looked extremely chic dressed in green jodhpurs, a matching tweed jacket and headscarf at the Windsor Horse Show in 1988.

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Possibly the only time we've seen the Queen wear a trouser suit. She looked smart in the grey two-piece when leaving hospital in 2003. Her Majesty had an injured knee and was possibly dressing to cover it.

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The Queen looked happy and relaxed as she holidays in Scotland back in 2006 to celebrate her 80th birthday. She looks elegant in the taupe trousers and brown coat combination.

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Here we see her Majesty wearing black trousers and a purple coat as she disembarks the Hebridean Princess after a cruise with the royal family in 2010.

MORE: Royals who have made a statement wearing trousers