Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Lived-in Handbags
    • Eyepatch-Gate
    • Life in Plastic
    • Brown Denim
    • Taylor Swift
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    The Queen Wore a Bright Green Dress for Her Speech and Became a Meme

    The Queens' green screen-esque dress during her special coronavirus address made for the perfect meme opportunity.

    Katherine J. Igoe's avatar
    By Katherine J. Igoe
    Published 6 April 2020 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter
    • After the Internet/Twitter/bored graphics experts made Queen Elizabeth II and Boris Johnson a meme, they're at it again: Her bright green dress during her weekend address about coronavirus made the perfect Photoshop opportunity.
    • Twitter users swapped out the dress with an Iron Maiden logo, Baby Yoda meme, pictures of adorable animals, and so much more.
    • Actually, the color was significant for another (more serious) reason.

    The fact that the vast majority of tech-savvy people are sitting at home with lots of free time on their hands has led to some truly terrific Internet moments—much needed, honestly, during a pretty scary time. First, it was the Queen and Boris Johnson having a serious phone call that was guaranteed to become a meme the second the Royal Family shared it. And now it's the Queen's lovely, historic address to the UK in a pretty green dress—that happens to be the perfect color for Photoshop experts to put patterns over. (Green screens are used in film production because it doesn't match skin color or, usually, outfits, so a CGI background/effect can be easily "placed" around the person. Which is exactly what people did here.)

    It all started when writer/cartoonist Peter Chiykowski (his name now reads "Peter Chiykowski respects the Queen, I promise," lol) called the green dress "the perfect Photoshop bait." "I, for one, would like to thank the Queen for making her royal address and providing the nation with something it sorely needs right now," he added. And then he proceeded to swap out the green dress with a picture of the Queen in glorious tie-dye with a cat meme on it:

    I, for one, would like to thank the Queen for making her royal address and providing the nation with something it sorely needs right now...The perfect Photoshop bait... pic.twitter.com/dU0CIATWs1April 5, 2020

    And it for sure did not end there. Chiykowski Photoshopped the Queen wearing an Iron Maiden shirt, a Monty Python reference, and even a Baby Yoda meme:

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Okay 2020 let's break the Internet pic.twitter.com/dBgi7IgEaeApril 5, 2020

    And you can absolutely bet that other Twitter users jumped on the bandwagon in a big way. Seriously, the entire thread is worth a read, but here are a few epic standouts:

    The Queen wears the Queen:

    You may like
    • Princess Kate wearing a green dress at Royal Marsden hospital Princess Kate Trades Fall's Trendy Moss Green for an Old Favorite Emerald Dress
    • The Exterior of Sandringham House Prince Edward's Friend Unpacks "Terrifying" Sandringham Dress Code
    • Queen Elizabeth wears a bright yellow coat and a matching hat with purple and blue feathers attached Queen Elizabeth's Brutal Retort When She Was Rejected

    Elizabeth II wearing Elizabeth I: pic.twitter.com/7CZXtMYBlRApril 6, 2020

    A little Tiger King synergy, right there:

    #TigerKingNetflix #CaroleBaskin pic.twitter.com/yYIOOKRyZPApril 6, 2020

    If it's not expanding properly for you, her top now reads, "Carole Baskin killed her husband."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Oh my God it's a GIF!!

    This canvas speaks to me pic.twitter.com/iWk6FuGsPMApril 6, 2020

    Dear lord, the best (the Queen as an interested buyer at a novelty tee shop makes my day):

    pic.twitter.com/oNFWIKlecWApril 6, 2020

    A couple users (eyeroll) said that Chiykowski's memes were disrespectful, to which he had a pointed, spectacular response:

    A few of you said my queenscreen photoshops are disrespectful, and you're right.The Queen is definitely a corgis > cats lady. pic.twitter.com/XmQI5jJ5AoApril 5, 2020

    And he also highlighted a couple Queen-supported Soundcloud charities we can donate to, on a more serious note. Slow clap, sir.

    For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

    SUBSCRIBE HERE

    RELATED STORIES

    marie claire logo

    (Image credit: Marie Claire)

    Queen Elizabeth's Dress Nodded to NHS Workers

    marie claire logo

    (Image credit: Marie Claire)

    The Queen's Subtle Message for Harry & Meghan

    Katherine J. Igoe
    Katherine J. Igoe
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor

    Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

    Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

    Read more
    Princess Kate wearing a green dress at Royal Marsden hospital
    Royals Princess Kate Trades Fall's Trendy Moss Green for an Old Favorite Emerald Dress
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret posing in dress coats as children
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Laughs at Princess Margaret’s Behavior in Family Movie
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the launch of The Queen's Baton Relay for the XXI Commonwealth Games at Buckingham Palace on March 13, 2017
    Royals Queen Elizabeth Greeted Prince Philip "Wearing a False Beard"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Duchess Sophie wearing a lime green dress with a purple sash
    Royals Duchess Sophie Embraces Fall's Unexpected Color Clashing Trend
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Prince Archie, Prince Harry and Princess Lilibet walking in the grass at Althorp
    Royals Why Earl Spencer Felt "Sad" When Archie and Lilibet Stayed at Althorp
    King Charles is in side profile and has white gray hair while wearing a gray pinstripe suit while his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, wears a turquoise blue coat dress and matching hat
    Royals King Charles's "Hot Temper Flared" After The Queen's Death
     
     
    Sarah Ferguson
    Royals Sarah Ferguson Finally Addresses Her Plans for a Memoir
    King Charles and Prince Philip pictured wearing suits and ties, with Philip smirking at the camera
    Royals Prince Philip Said Charles Looked "Like a Christmas Tree"
     
     
    Latest in News
    Models walking in Gucci's Spring 2027 runway show.
    Fashion Gucci Has the Formula for Dressing Like the Best-Dressed Women in Milan
    Prince Archie, Prince Harry and Princess Lilibet walking in the grass at Althorp
    Royals Why Earl Spencer Felt "Sad" When Archie and Lilibet Stayed at Althorp
     
     
    King Charles is in side profile and has white gray hair while wearing a gray pinstripe suit while his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, wears a turquoise blue coat dress and matching hat
    Royals King Charles's "Hot Temper Flared" After The Queen's Death
    Sarah Ferguson
    Royals Sarah Ferguson Finally Addresses Her Plans for a Memoir
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.