Royals' Favorite Perfumes That You Can Wear Too

The late Queen Elizabeth had an undeniable influence on British fashion and left people around the world in mourning when she passed in 2022. Reigning as the monarch since early 1952, she had a lot of time to leave her mark. Queen Elizabeth II exclusively got her perfumes from Floris of London. And it appears White Rose was her absolute favorite. According to Floris of London, this scent was also a favorite of Florence Nightingale.

Depending on the size, you can get this warm and elegant scent at prices ranging from $27 to $107 per bottle. The best part is that purchasing it is also an excellent way to support United Kingdom-based nurses and midwives, as 15% of the White Rose Eau de Toilette 100 ml. sales goes to the Florence Nightingale Foundation. Before you buy, imagine top notes of greenery and carnations, followed by heart notes of a floral blend (rose, violet, jasmine, and iris), ending in base notes of musk, amber, and a powdery finish. With this royal scent, you will smell like a fresh spring bouquet all year round.

Married to Prince William, Kate Middleton (aka Princess Catherine) is one of the British royals we're used to seeing in the news. There are bloggers out there who share every outfit Kate wears and even know when she's sporting the same garment a second time! What we're interested in, though, is how she smells, and Kate has a few favorites. Kate Middleton's wedding was reportedly decorated with candles from Jo Malone London in the Orange Blossom scent, and matching hand soaps were also placed in the bathrooms. While she obviously loves this perfume, she was wearing Illuminum London White Gardenia Petals for the big event.

Jo Malone London Orange Blossom ($165) has notes of clementine flower, white lilac, and orriswood. "This beautiful fragrance starts with a fresh mandarin-like smell which softens down to a 'warmer' powdery floral smell (although not at all cloying). It is feminine and sophisticated. I am totally in love with it," wrote one buyer. Illuminum London White Gardenia Petals costs about $126 for a bottle and has notes of bergamot, cassis, and lily in the top, ylang-ylang, gardenia, and jasmine in the middle, and finishes with precious woods.

You may know Grace Kelly as an actress, depending on your age or interest in classic films. She was more than that, though. Grace Kelly was the wife of Prince Rainier III, making her a princess. Among her accolades, she won an Academy Award for best actress for her role in "The Country Girl" with Bing Crosby and William Holden. Her signature scent was Creed Fleurissimo, which her husband commissioned as a present for their wedding day. She loved it so much, it seems, that she continued wearing it.

You, too, can enjoy the beautiful scent of Creed Fleurissimo for $425. Top notes of bergamot and violet leaves lead into middle notes of tuberose, Bulgarian rose, and ylang-ylang. It finishes with ambergris and Florentine iris. The perfumery describes this scent as that of a fresh wedding bouquet. One reviewer said, "Clearly the most beautiful fragrance on the planet. Subtle and complex." Another said, "I bought this perfume this past summer because I was looking for a scent that had an intense flower scent in it. This one is amazing! It is not too sweet, nor too green ... well-balanced perfume. It has a good silage as well ... I would not spray too much of it; it's pretty intense."

Princess Margaret was Queen Elizabeth II's younger sister, and though she passed in 2002, her favorite perfume is still worth discussing. The royal was reportedly a big fan of Oscar de la Renta, which costs $105 for a 3.5-oz. bottle. This is the signature scent of the company and one that anyone would feel royal in. At the top, we have orange blossom, peach, coriander, gardenia, and basil — offering a floral and fruity scent with a bit of spice. The heart notes include rose, rosemary, jasmine, lavender, and orchid. In the base are carnation, patchouli, amber, lavender, and sandalwood, among others. 

If you look at the Amazon reviews, the princess wasn't alone in her love of Oscar EDT. One fan said, "I have been wearing this perfume forever! I never wear any other and everyone tells me that it smells great on me. It is my fragrance signature!" Another buyer said, "I love this perfume have used this fragrance for 20+ years. It is not overpowering and last for awhile."

Moving away from British royalty again for a moment, we have Marie Louise, who was Napoleon's second wife. Her royal lineage didn't start with Napolean, as she was an Austrian archduchess before becoming empress with her marriage to Napoleon I. Marie Louise was said to be obsessed with the smell of violets, and she had monks in Parma distill the flowers into a sent for her. The perfume Violetta di Parma was created in 1970 by Ludovico Borsari using the basic formula the monks used for Marie Louise's signature scent.

When you spray on some Violetta di Parma, expect to sense notes of rose, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, jasmine, and heliotrope among the violets. Along with the florals, there are some woody, musk-centric notes. If you love the floral perfume trend, you can expect to fall for this one. One buyer couldn't help but use this scent all around their home, writing, "The ingredients are pretty few and pure which is an added bonus when you are an allergen sufferer like myself. Neither my skin nor my sinuses reacted, so to me that is proof of its' pure ingredients ... I spray this onto my bed linens and around the home and every so often I get a fresh whiff of sweet violets." It tips the scales at $300 for 3.3 oz.

Princess Eugenie of York is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The royal reportedly prefers to wear Jasmin Impératrice by Creed. Listed as Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie on the Creed site, one might think it was named for this princess, but that isn't so (though it may have something to do with her attraction to it).

The name comes from when a historic French emperor requested a special fragrance for his wife, Empress Eugenie. And, thus, Jasmin Impératrice was born. Its top notes include bergamot and neroli, with some powdery accents. The notes at the heart of this scent are jasmine, rose, and orange blossom. It finishes with amber, sandalwood, and vanilla. A true luxury scent, the smallest size sells for $425, with the price climbing as high as $1,205 for a 500-ml. bottle.

Princess Diana, lovingly referred to as Princess Di, may no longer be with us, but her icon status lives on. As journalist Elizabeth Holmes put it to Fashion Magazine, "... what Diana did when she came onto the scene in the early eighties [was] she made [royal fashion] exciting." Diana was the first wife of Charles III, the current king of the United Kingdom. When we look at fashion and beauty from the royalty out there, her keen sense of style led us here. And, as for Princess Diana's favorite perfume, we look to Hermès 24 Faubourg.

Hermès 24 Faubourg is so popular that it seems to be sold out all over the internet, though you can sometimes find a random listing for it on Amazon. Notes include orange blossom, jasmine, iris, amber, and vanilla. One of those fortunate to have gotten their hands on Princess Di's favorite said, "My husband gave me this fragrance when we first started dating 18 yrs ago and I continue to love it just as much all these years later."