Zoomer Magazine The Royal Special (Bonus material)

Even in the 21st century, we are fascinated by the fusty idea of the British monarchy. The sun may have long set on its Empire, the Commonwealth a comparatively puny if earnest consolation prize, yet we still have the almost atavistic desire for royalty’s residual pomp and circumstance. Symbolic as it is, there is power – wielded by the long-reigning Queen with a white-gloved fist of stoic duty – in the pageantry of the enterprise. With its dynastic implications only second to that of a coronation, a royal wedding is perhaps the most potent of their public inflection points. It’s the hope of the happily ever after on steroids, young love wed to the fairy-tale tropes of Prince Charmings and Fair Maidens, kryptonite to even the most hardened of…

IN FULL BLOOM The west door at St. George's Chapel was lined with naturally blooming flowers including white garden roses, foxglove and peonies, designed by royal florist Philippa Craddock. THE DUKE As is customary, the Queen bestowed a dukedom on Prince Harry for his wedding gift. The newly minted Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel did not disappoint fans of his ginger beard as it's assumed he received the Queen’s permission to sport it with the most senior military uniform available, the Blues and Royals of the Royal Marines. The Prince is now its head after Prince Philip's retirement. BROTHERLY LOVE Prince William, also wearing the uniform of the Blues and Royals, returned the honour of best man duties for Prince Harry. Flower Power The Duchess…

ROYAL WAVE The happy couple greet well-wishers some of whom had camped out for days and even flown-in from around the world just for a sighting of the Duke and Duchess. Love & Marriage The Duke and Duchess descended the steps of St. George's Chapel to their awaiting carriage. The vintage Ascot Landau, which is one of five kept by the Royal Mews, is used every year for The Queen's procession during the Royal Meeting at Ascot. The Crown Equerry, Col. Toby Browne describes the Ascot Landau as a 'wonderfully bright, small, lovely carriage, very easy for people to see – the passengers can sit up quite high. So there's lots of visibility for everybody.' Which makes the Landau perfectly suited for the royal wedding procession through the streets…

The good and the great descended on St. George's Chapel to witness the nuptials of the newly minted Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And in rising to the sartorial occasion, the guests did not disappoint. While the Hollywood contingent, including Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, Pryanka Chopra, Carey Mulligan and Idris Elba with his Canadian fiancée, Sabrina Dhowre, made a strong showing, and the global celebrity gang, such as the Beckhams, Sir Elton John and his Canadian husband, David Furnish, were chic, not to be outdone the Royals held their own. As this wedding was not a state affair and in the country, as opposed to the 2011 wedding of William and Catherine, the dressing was more playful and relaxed though still resplendent. With the…

Royal ladies love their tiny hats. If there is one word that the last royal wedding – Wills and Kate’s – gave us, it is the fascinator. Which is actually not a hat, as there is no brim or crown. Instead, you get all the decadent frou-frou – feathers, bows, netting – attached to the hair with a band or a clip or a comb. From Victorian times, women wore tiny hats. The look popped back up in the surrealist designs of the 1930s (Schiaparelli put lobsters on women’s heads) and again in the ’50s. But it was American designer, John P. John, who coined the term fascinator, to describe the mini veils women stuck into their beehive dos. Stephen Jones brought the concept into the ’70s, becoming the first…

THE CAMBRIDGE LOVER'S KNOT TIARA Queen Mary, who was clearly a big fan of the tiara concept, had this one made in 1913 at Garrard & Co. She had the diamonds and pearls and used them to make a copy of a piece owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta. It is neo-classical French with 19 oriental pearls suspended from “lover’s knot” bows with a fat diamond in the middle of each. Queen Elizabeth gave the piece to Diana upon the wedding to her son. Diana was photographed in it often, though she had to return it to the Queen upon her divorce. It has been seen on several state occasions in recent years atop the bouncy brunette locks of the Duchess of Cambridge. THE GIRLS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND…