In to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year evolution New books delve
In to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year evolution New books delve
Nupeflaver report bon The Platinum Jubilee celebrations might be over, but royal fascination is forever.
However Fans of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II have new options for learning about her seven-decade reign. One fast, fun read tackles the most visible element of the monarch’s role — her fashion. The other book dives deep into the history of the House of Windsor.
This book’s charm extends well beyond its pictures, though it has an impressive collection of the rarest of shots: the queen in pants.
And It is impossible to cover all of the queen’s looks, so Holt, fashion news and features director at Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, categorizes the monarch’s vast wardrobe into different phases of her job (on tour, off-duty), accessories (yes, there is a chapter just on jewels), milestone moments, colors, designers and more.
The book discusses influential figures such as her majesty’s longtime dresser, Margaret “Bobo” MacDonald; Norman Hartnell, who designed her wedding and coronation gowns; and the keeper of the queen’s clothes today, Angela Kelly (nicknamed AK-47 for her “steely attitude”). (Kelly, with permission rarely accorded a royal staffer, has published two books on the queen’s fashion; “The Other Side of the Coin” was updated last month to include the covid era.)
Meanwhile Holt’s assessments are shrewd: She notes that the queen, known for being steadfast in her public role, has not changed her private style — plaid skirt, sweater, sensible shoes — since childhood. Holt charts how the queen became a muse for designers and an icon as she has aged, even trending for a bright green suit she wore at her 2016 birthday parade (#Neonat90). Fans of both fashion and the royals can find much to like in this slim volume.
