The monarchy is certainly in focus, with the impending royal nuptials and speculation over the designer for Ms. Middleton’s wedding dress bound to have as much cultural impact as Diana’s when she wed Prince Charles in the 80s. Lucky is the chosen designer (rumored to be Sarah Burton, creative director for Alexander McQueen), for their influence will be historic. With a quarter of the world’s population expected to watch the ceremonies, you can bet there will be marked significance in what she wears for her big day. But the royal that has had a longer cultural impact and is expected to gain attention as that wedding passes, especially next year (barring any scandal) will be none other than Queen Elizabeth II, and she is not a stranger to trend-setting.

British royalty has always made an impression with regards to fashion. The first Elizabeth was a huge fashion fan, and Victoria’s moral stance had an immense impact on style of that period. For these heavyweights eras were named, their power was so strongly felt. The Edwardian period? Another British monarch, of course. This lineage has deep and identifiable ties to art and culture, even if not every monarch gets a period in time to their name.

In the 1950s Queen Elizabeth II’s short wavy locks influenced a generation; the only other at that moment to do so was a Hollywood star with the same name, i.e. Elizabeth Taylor. At the point of Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, her arrival brought with it a multitude of fashion items inspired by her lineage as well as her name, such as the long-pointed Tudor bodice, stiff Elizabethan collars, farthingale pads (pas that are at the sides of the skirts; e.g. Dior) and bejeweled velvet dresses. In fact, tiny crowns and delicate tiaras became evening jewelry fads for the women of that era. Now that’s a trend that is, for those who recall the 90s, a familiar summer folly. Time will tell whether that mini-trend will also be revisited, especially as the 90s, amongst other decades, was recently a design era favorite.

Warhol did a series featuring her in 1985, and she continues to influence contemporary art and the world it inhabits. The National Portrait Gallery's touring exhibition of her portraits plan to commemorate it, her fashions have been on display at Buckingham Palace since 2006 in anticipation of this milestone, and some artists, such as Anne Carrington, have been producing some awe-inspiring works of Her Majesty’s profile which she has presented in her website. Schön magazine recently featured a very modern and glamorous photograph by Chris Levine of Her Royal Highness, and Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy” of Nigeria recently painted her portrait; this will be up for auction at Bonhams.

The arts are often mined for design inspiration and with this increase in interest it’s bound to make an impact, if only minor when faced with the plethora of inspiration each season offers. While the Queen is most certainly not a flamboyant celebrant of fashion (like Lady Gaga, for example), her classic appeal provides a few sharp sources to draw upon that are in step with current trends. The Queen is known for wearing the duster coat that carries a gentle A-line.  She prefers blocks of bold or pastel colour (either way, definitely strong) with contrast stitching. The print she favors is floral. Her hat is often colour-coordinated and her hemline is at a ladylike below-the-knee length. Standard accessories that, if missing from the royal uniform, would make the public notice are of course a brooch and a demure fussless classic handbag.

Strong colours and colour blocking are currently in the upcoming offerings, although colours are getting sweeter, similar to dessert shades in the early to mid-90s. Brooches, a favorite in the 80s, are a likely mini-trend as those are an easy and playful homage to add to the wardrobe. Grace Kelly-style bags are a nod to the 80s and 90s and are a refreshing change from the overwrought detail that bags have been gradually shedding recently.

As volume is more prevalent in recent collections, swing coats in cheerful colours could be a small addition to the fashion scene that is embracing every decade under the sun. Done in solids, they have more market appeal as well as they retain a classic aura that translates into more wearability and, as a result, better value for the consumer.

And then, of course, there is the obvious diamond reference, given that this is her diamond jubilee. Interesting to note is that, as previously mentioned, both she and Elizabeth Taylor influenced fashion in the 50s and given Ms. Taylor’s famed association with diamonds and renewed notoriety in light of her recent untimely passing, the two Elizabeths, royalty from completely different worlds, have come full circle in again giving inspiration; both known, after all, for their exquisite glittery accessories.

We won’t know until SS2012, but it would be a shame if fashion didn’t celebrate the Queen’s presence in some manner. She is one-of-a-kind and has proven to be a supporter of the design industry and of fashion itself, honoring fashion greats such as Vivienne Westwood and the late Alexander McQueen. How fashion will do the honors while juggling other inspiration points from the UK should prove sportingly intriguing.