Monthly Archives: June 2014
I spend three hours getting dressed as Elizabeth I.
How did Elizabeth I get dressed? I wanted to know! There’s no doubt that the queen had quite an extraordinary shape, if the portraits are to be believed. If you visit a Historic Royal Palace it’s quite possible that you’ll see an Elizabeth I wandering round in a replica of the dress you can see
Continue ReadingWhy do the Georgians matter?
Today I have a LONG READ for you. It’s an essay I wrote for May’s BBC History Magazine … and even though it’s Midsummer’s Day already there’s lots of time left to see our 2014 ‘Glorious Georges’ displays at Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace too. ‘Sometimes it’s a depressing business being a
Continue ReadingHistory’s most blingtastic weddings
When reality TV star Kim Kardashian married the hip-hop artist Kanye West last month, Grazia magazine called it ‘the most blingtastic, ‘krazy’ wedding of all time’. The occasion cost $12 million, half a million of them going on the dress alone. It even had its own room at the hotel. But this was more than a
Continue ReadingOff to Buckingham Palace for a Garden Party
If you’re a Twitter or Facebook follower of mine, you’ll have already seen my Buckingham Palace Garden Party Hat I wore on Tuesday. I hired my vintage 1940s tricorn number from this terrific shop run by my friend the Top Tottie herself. Hats have been a topic of conversation in our office for some time.
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