Queen Elizabeth II was perhaps the most recognizable woman in the world. For 70 years, the monarch sat on the most famous throne and lived in the most well-known palace.
April 21 marks the centenary of her birth in 1926.
While historians and biographers explore and debate her legacy in terms of politics and family, the focus of this year’s exhibitions, lectures, and books is her iconic style. She knew what suited her, and didn’t need to chase the latest trends. She was always two or three steps behind the leading edges of fashion. Her skirts rose in the 1960s, but never to the ultra short miniskirt lengths enjoyed by her then-teenage daughter, Princess Anne.
This year, her style is being celebrated in every conceivable manner. The cynosure will be the exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style that opens on April 10 at nearby King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. (My early preview of that exhibition is here.)
Now, tie-ins are popping up everywhere. As of April 10, the five-star Goring Hotel in Belgravia — the only hotel to be granted a Royal Warrant by Elizabeth II and famous for being where Kate Middleton spent the night before her wedding — is transforming its usual afternoon tea into “Her Life in Style” tea, complete with either a glass of Bollinger champagne or the late Queen’s favourite cocktail.
Such tie-ins are essential these days for they help turn a successful show into a blockbuster. After all, when was the last time any museum or gallery had an exhibition that didn’t end in a gift shop?
This exhibition is being put on by the Royal Collection Trust, the non-profit that cares for one of the most valuable collections in the world. Yet, through its tie-ins, its goals are exactly the same as any other gallery or museum: raising money to help keep the lights on, the staff paid, and ensure as many people as possible hear of their works.
Yet the Royal Collection has something special that no other institution has — its link to the royal family. The non-profit has to hew a line between commercialism and respect. So while it offers the fridge magnets and other small bits of tourist tat, all the items follow in the late Queen’s fashion shoes — respectful rather than outlandish or eccentric
That ethos holds for the latest collaboration with seven brands just announced by the Royal Collection, which also have something else in common: the brands had been worn by Queen Elizabeth II and are current or past Royal Warrant Holders. Their wares are so linked to the late monarch that some of their items will be included in the exhibition and/or its accompanying book.
In particular, the labels are:
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Burberry
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Launer London
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Kinloch Anderson
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Corgi Socks
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Dents
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Floris
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Fulton Umbrellas
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Burberry announced its tie-in earlier this month. It has created four new designs: a car coat, cashmere scarf, silk scarf, and a corgi brooch. Each featured the muted hues of the Old Stewart Tartan, which Elizabeth often wore in the country (there are variants of this tartan, including this modern one by Kinloch Anderson, who created the tartans for the monarch’s kilted skirts) .
Then there are the black leather purses that Elizabeth II always wore slung over her arm. She could be working inside her own palace, but wherever she went, so did one of her Launer London purses. They contained her powder, lipstick, and often a crisp banknote.
There are two options for this collaborative range, including the Traviata bag in black (lined with the tartan) and the Judi in dark green.
And that brings up another issue: price.
While one can buy Corgi tartan socks for $36 or the clear “birdcage” Fulton umbrella with the tartan trim for $70, other items in this exclusive range of products are far more expensive and exclusive.
The Traviata purse is “a true investment piece,” states Launer London on its website. Introduced in 1989 and made famous by being the “bag of choice” for the late monarch, each structured bag takes up to six weeks to be made by its craftsmen. No wonder the Royal Collection Trust collaboration version costs $7,000 while the Judi purse in green is a comparative “steal” for $5,500.
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That Burberry car coat with its organic cotton outer layer and lining of organic silk is $4,400. Meanwhile, the gold-plated brooch of a corgi in an Old Stewart tartan coat, with its front legs on a freshwater pearl adorned with the Burberry motif, is available for $800.
Still, there are more affordable options, including a $200 pair of green leather gloves from Dents. For those wanting a small memento without breaking the bank, the best options may be from the Royal Collection itself. Instead of a $800 brooch by Burberry, they are offering a fun “hat” brooch for $80 (in green, yellow, and blue designs) and an exhibition tote bag for $36.
There’s even a handbag charm in that shiny black hue that Elizabeth loved. It’s yours for $90, which is $6,900 less expensive than a Launder London purse.
Note: This is a shorter post than usual due to scheduling issues.
