Innholdsfortegnelse for The Royal Special (Bonus material) i Zoomer Magazine

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…

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…

Her Majesty is never out of style. From princess to queen, Elizabeth has always chosen a wardrobe that ensures her royal image remains consisten and stately – including during the many royal wedding occasions throughout her reign. During her younger years the Queen often opted for nipped waists and full skirts in vogue at the time, which accentuated her figure, but her style evolved as decades passed. At 92, her look remains timeless. bordering on uniform, with knee-length dresses paired with a matching coat in vibrant colours, iconic hats, heirloom brooches, elegant white gloves – thanks, in part, to British fashion designer (and Her Majesty’s Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser), Angela Kelly. And of course, she is never without with her signature Launer purse. The Queen’s classic style is due…

The Queen’s passion for horses is well-documented, both from her jaunts to Ascot to watch her racehorses gallop or in her own riding, be it in official capacity during the Trooping the Colour parade or for pure pleasure when she’s off for a hack on her estate at Balmoral. One particular horse, however, became her special mount. Her name was Burmese and was given to the Queen in 1969 as a gift from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Queen rode the beautiful black mare during 18 Trooping the Colour parades. The horse passed away in 1990 and, to commemorate the bond she shared with the animal, the Queen gifted a handcrafted rocking horse dedicated to Burmese to the RCMP as part of her 90th birth celebration. The love of…

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…

QUEEN VICTORIA THE TREND-SETTER When 20-year-old Queen Victoria wed Prince Albert in 1840, she selected a white gown. Coloured gowns were then the fashion, and royal brides previously tended to silver, with ermine-trimmed robes. Thus, Victoria’s silk-satin crinoline “court” style dress, executed by Mrs. Mary Bettons, was aspirational in her era and continues to be so today. The train stretched 5.5 metres behind the bride. Her choice of Honiton lace kick-started the artisanal industry in Britain; the exotic pattern was designed by William Dyce, including orange flower blossoms for fertility. Victoria was buried with her wedding veil covering her face. THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR AMERICAN CHIC The whippet-thin, twice-divorced American chose a powder-blue gown for her wedding in 1937 to the former Edward VIII following his abdication. Designed by the…

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…

THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF SUSSEX ELDERFLOWER TWIST The much-anticipated cake was designed by London-based Claire Ptak –who Meghan Markle had previously interviewed for her lifestyle blog, The Tig. The cake features elderflower syrup made at the Queen’s residence in Sandringham from the estate’s elderflower trees and a light sponge cake. Filled with Amalfi lemon curd and elderflower buttercream, it's topped with 150 fresh flowers, like roses and peonies. A definite a break from the traditional fruit cake, the light, organic confection reflects both the bride’s and the baker’s California roots. PRINCESS MARGARET & LORD SNOWDON PICTURE PERFECT For her marriage to photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, Margaret chose a three-tiered, six-sided cake weighing 150 pounds and standing about five feet tall. The cake featured both the Princess’s coat of arms and…

We can all agree that the wedding ceremony of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle struck a fine balance, rich with modern meaning and historic tradition. But it didn’t end there. The couple’s exit from Windsor Castle en route to the evening reception hosted by his father, HRH Prince Charles, at Frogmore House, was the last word in megawatt glamour. Yet, the values the couple holds dear were front and centre. The Duchess glowed in a bespoke gown in sustainable fabric by British designer and rock royal herself, Stella McCartney. For his part, Prince Harry drove to the party in an electric-powered Jag. The licence plate read the couple’s wedding date, E190518, a day and night to remember, indeed.…