This is an interesting question that many people may wonder about the Queen of England. As the longest reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most recognizable figures in the world. However, some personal details like her eye color remain less known. In this article, we will examine the evidence to determine if Queen Elizabeth II has brown eyes or not.
What is Known About the Queen’s Appearance
Queen Elizabeth II has a very recognizable look that has remained consistent throughout her long reign. Some key facts about her appearance include:
– She is 5’4″ tall.
– She has worn her hair in a similar cropped style for decades. It is now a very light blonde but was a more golden blonde when she was younger.
– Her skin is pale and she is often seen wearing bright colors like neon greens, pinks, and blues. This allows her to stand out in a crowd.
– Her fashion style tends toward conservative skirt suits and hats.
– She wears very little jewelry, usually just pearl earrings and a brooch.
– She typically wears light natural-looking makeup.
So in summary, the Queen presents a polished, conservative, consistent, and recognizable look. But what about her eye color specifically?
Analyzing Available Photos of the Queen’s Eyes
There are numerous photos of Queen Elizabeth II from her youth to today. Analyzing these photos provides clues about her natural eye color:
– Black and white photos from when she was a child and young adult show very light eyes. However, it is difficult to discern the exact color from black and white photos alone.
– Color photos from the 1950s when she was in her 20s and 30s show blue eyes. Her eyes look to be a very light blue.
– Recent color photos of the Queen in her 70s-90s still show very light eyes, though they appear to be more grey now. This is common as blue eyes often fade closer to grey with age.
– There are no photos showing Queen Elizabeth II with brown or hazel eyes. Her eyes have consistently appeared very light colored throughout her life.
Table of Queen’s Eye Colors
| Age Range | Eye Color |
|---|---|
| Childhood (black and white photos) | Very light color, unable to confirm exact shade |
| Young adult (black and white photos) | Very light color, unable to confirm exact shade |
| 1950s (color photos) | Blue |
| 1960s – 1990s (color photos) | Blue |
| 2000s – present (color photos) | Grey/light blue |
This table summarizes how the available photographic evidence consistently shows the Queen having very light colored eyes throughout her life. The photos do not indicate she has ever had brown eyes.
The Queen’s Children’s Eye Colors
Looking at the Queen’s children can provide more clues about her genetics when it comes to eye color:
– Son Charles has blue eyes
– Son Andrew has blue eyes
– Son Edward has blue eyes
– Daughter Anne has blue eyes
All four of the Queen’s children inherited blue eyes, indicating that both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip have genes that code for blue eyes. Two brown-eyed parents would be unlikely to have four children who all ended up with blue eyes. Furthermore, Prince Philip reportedly had bright blue eyes himself.
Table of the Queen’s Children’s Eye Colors
| Child’s Name | Eye Color |
|---|---|
| Charles | Blue |
| Anne | Blue |
| Andrew | Blue |
| Edward | Blue |
This supports the conclusion that the Queen carried genes for blue eyes which she passed down to her children.
Genetics of Eye Color
Genetically, blue is a recessive eye color while brown is dominant. This means:
– Two blue-eyed parents will always produce blue-eyed children.
– One blue-eyed parent and one brown-eyed parent will usually produce children with brown eyes, though they may carry recessive genes for blue eyes which could be passed down.
– Two brown-eyed parents will always produce brown-eyed children.
Given that all four of the Queen’s children have blue eyes, genetically the possibilities are:
1. The Queen has two genes coding blue eyes, resulting in all blue-eyed children.
2. The Queen may have one gene for blue eyes and one for brown, but Prince Philip had two blue eye genes. Their children luckily inherited the blue eye genes.
Based on the photographic evidence showing the Queen with light eyes and no evidence showing brown eyes, option #1 is most likely. Therefore, genetically speaking, the Queen most likely has two genes coding for blue eyes. It is highly improbable that she carries genes for brown eyes.
Ethnic Background
The Queen’s ethnic background also makes it unlikely that she has brown eyes. She is of nearly 100% Northwest European descent, being:
– Mostly English
– Some German
– Small amounts of Scottish and Irish
Populations from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Europe tend to have very high rates of blue, green, and hazel eyes. Brown eyes are much less common. It would be rare for someone of the Queen’s extremely Northwest European ancestry to have naturally brown eyes.
Conclusion
Examining the available evidence leads to the conclusion that Queen Elizabeth II most likely has blue eyes naturally, which have faded to a greyer shade with age. The photos, genetics of eye color, and her Northwest European ethnicity all point to this conclusion. There is no convincing evidence showing the Queen has ever had brown eyes. Therefore, while we cannot completely rule it out, it is highly unlikely that Queen Elizabeth II naturally has brown eyes. Her eye color has most likely been some shade of blue or grey her entire life. So in summary, no, the Queen does not appear to have brown eyes.
References
Larson, K. (2022). Queen Elizabeth II’s Life in Pictures. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/.
Smith, A. (2022). Queen Elizabeth II. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/
McGrath, J. et al. (2009). Blue eyes and dark skin: An unusual phenotype in people from the Solomon Islands. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 139(3), 300-304.
Walsh, S. et al. (2011). IrisPlex: A sensitive DNA tool for accurate prediction of blue and brown eye colour in the absence of ancestry information. Forensic Science International: Genetics, 5(3), 170-180.
Genetics Home Reference. (2022). Eye color. Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/