Queen elizabeth

Tuesday

Anne de Courcy

Streamlined chic or lacy froth: royal style wars of the 1930s

The semiotics of clothes, especially royal ones, can be fascinating, sending out powerful messages. Think of the jewel-studded, pearl-strewn portraits of Queen Elizabeth I or Princess Diana’s revenge-chic black dress. As a fashion queen herself (Justine Picardie was editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar for more than seven years and has an acclaimed book on Chanel under her belt), no one is better placed to unpick the subtleties of royal public couture. So, judging by this book’s title, I was expecting a shrewd analysis of diplomacy dressing, with perhaps some behind-the-scenes vignettes. What happens if a royal lady unexpectedly gets a ladder in her tights at a crucial moment? Is there a

Friday

Isabel Hardman

Parliament’s poignant tributes to the Queen

That so many people have wanted to say something about how the Queen touched their lives, whether or not they met her, shows quite how powerful her service was. The tributes this afternoon in the House of Commons were moving because they showed the breadth of that service, from the way she carried out her constitutional duties with the government to her personal impact on many members of the House. When parliament pays tribute to someone who has just died, the cloying phrase ‘it was the House at its best’ quickly emerges. This is self-regarding, because what today’s tributes showed was not the best bits of MPs but the best

Thursday

Fraser Nelson

Britain will now enter ten days of mourning

When word of the Queen’s illness spread, the House of Commons quickly emptied. Liz Truss had just announced her fuel bills bailout, one of the most expensive measures in British history. It was about to be eclipsed. The death of the Queen, who appointed Liz Truss as her 15th Prime Minister just two days ago, marks the end of what history will likely judge as one of, if not the most, successful reigns in a millennium of British history. This is where the country’s thoughts will now turn. The relationship between the country and the Queen is something quite extraordinary, something far beyond the realms or understanding of politics. The