Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II, would have turned 100 this month. So let’s roll our the red carpet and reveal where you can find a little royal magic.
It’s time for a royal fanfare! Born on 21 April 1926, the woman who welcomed 15 prime ministers, allegedly supported Arsenal Football
Club, and used to take afternoon tea wherever she was in the world, left her mark on history. But when Queen Elizabeth II pulled a marmalade sandwich from her famous black handbag as Paddington Bear looked on in a brilliant sketch ahead of the concert in honour of her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen acknowledged the burning question everyone wanted to know the answer to: ‘What do you carry in your handbag?’
That handbag was very much a part of her royal uniform, always neatly hooked over her arm. But if you thought you knew the Queen’s style – all cheery colour-block coats, gloves and block-heeled shoes – an exhibition opening at The King’s Gallery (from10 Apr) reveals a richer story.
Dressed to reign
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of the late monarch’s wardrobe ever mounted. It features around 200 items worn in all 10 decades of her lite and spans everything from off-duty dressing to diplomatic glamour on the world stage.
Edward Molyneux’s silver lamé bridesmaid dress is the earliest surviving couture piece in the Oueen’s collection. Also on display is the turquoise dress worn for Princess Margaret’s wedding, which photographer Cecil Beaton remarked, ‘was quite wonderfully romantic’.
And while more modest wear includes off-duty raincoats and a hacking jacket, it’s the Queen’s stunning silk wedding dress and coronation dress, both by Norman Hartnell, that steal the show.
Once upon a time
For those keen to bring the royal story to life for kids, just a hop and a skip away is The Royal Mews. This month, it’s hosting Once Upon a Carriage (4-6 Apr), an interactive adventure set among the historic and modern carriages used by the royals.
Here you’ll witness the world of horse-drawn transport brought to life by a brilliantly engaging storyteller and see treasures such as the magnificent Gold State Coach, used in every coronation since that of William IV in 1831. Keep your eyes peeled for the Brougham carriage, too, which started delivering and collecting post between Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace in 1843 (a journey it makes to this day), and let little ones try their hand at tacking a wooden horse or posing in a carriage for a photo.
A floral tribute
Just a 10-minute stroll away is Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk. Arrive promptly at 10.15am to see the New Guard of the Household Division get inspected in their towering bearskin hats and iconic red tunics, hear the band warm up in the Parade Square, and then follow them as they march at 10.57am on the dot towards Buckingham Palace for the daily Changing the Guard ceremony, where the New Guard takes over responsibility for protecting the monarch’s residence. Seeing the pomp and precision of the drills on show more than makes up for the crowds. After a morning of ceremonial spectacle, it’s time to slow the pace.
A short journey north brings you to The Regent’s Park, one of the capital’s most elegant green spaces. With the spring cherry blossom in full bloom and flower beds full of
colour, it’s the perfect moment to pause while the kids run free or watch ducks bobbing along on the boating lake.
Set to open this spring (27 Apr) is a brand-new garden created specially to commemorate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Transforming a former plant nursery into a pretty two-acre landscape designed for both beauty and biodiversity and filled with flora significant to the Queen’s life, a winding path will lead you through meadows planted with wildflowers to a circular pond reflecting the sky.
Majestic gardens
Alternatively, for more floral fabulousness, venture west to Hampton Court Palace for its annual Tulip Festival (from 3 Apr). Having planted more than 100,000 bulbs by hand, the fruits of the labour of the palace’s gardening team burst forth, carpeting the grounds in a kaleidoscope of colour.
Explore the pretty courtyards and admire blooming displays spilling from the Tudor wine fountains and vintage horse carts, before heading to the Great Fountain to witness the floating tulip bowls. Finally, the pretty gardens of Westminster Abbey, which has been the setting for every coronation since 1066, are an absolute treat. Join head gardener Danny Britten’s Glorious Gardens tour (7 & 14 Apr) for a stroll around Cloister Garth with its fountain honouring the 18th-century gardener, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, and get a rare glimpse of College Garden, the UK’s oldest cultivated garden, which has grown food and medicinal herbs for a thousand years.
Crowning glory
No royal-themed day out would be complete without a trip to the Tower of London – it’s the perfect place to while away an afternoon. Make a beeline for the Jewel House and see the world-famous Crown Jewels. The collection comprises more than 100 objects and more than 23,000 gemstones, and at the heart of it all sits the coronation regalia and Imperial State Crown worn by Queen Elizabeth Il at the State Opening of Parliament every year of her reign.
Don’t miss the lively guided tours led by the Yeoman Warders – also known as Beefeaters – to hear more about the Tower’s history, and the stories of its prisoners and their daring escapes. It’s a whole lot of right royal fun!
