Nearly 100 years ago, the appearance of royalty from various countries around the world was distinctly different and diverse.
When we think of royalty, images of luxury and opulence often come to mind. Kings, princes, princesses, and nobles all led lives of great wealth. As a result, they typically adorned themselves in expensive clothing and jewelry. But what did royal figures really look like in the past? We can explore this through photographs taken from the previous century.
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom at the opening ceremony of the parliamentary session in Canada, where she also served as head of state. Sitting next to the Queen is Prince Philip.
Queen Farah Pahlavi of Iran at a ceremony held in the Gulistan Palace. The widow of King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi currently lives abroad after the monarchy in her country was overthrown.
A young prince of Siam in traditional attire adorned with jewels.
A Mongolian princess in traditional nomadic ceremonial dress.
Yang-Chi-ching, a prince during the Qing Dynasty (China), posing in front of his house. He is wearing a hat made from real wolf skin.
A Swazi princess on her wedding day in the 1970s. Swazi is a tiny kingdom in South Africa that still maintains a monarchy.
The last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, and Empress Menen Asfaw, in a country that has since abolished its monarchy.
King Thibaw and Queen Supayalat, the last ruling couple of Burma (now Myanmar).
A photograph from the coronation of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV – King of Tonga.
The former queen of Ladakh, India, with her daughter. Ladakh was an ancient kingdom that has since been dissolved in the Tibet region.
Ugyen Wangchuck, the first king of Bhutan in the early 20th century. He was elected king by the people in 1907.
Grace Kelly, the American film star who became Princess of Monaco after marrying Prince Rainier III.
