Royal Insight Forum

I was on my favourite strictly historical forum reading away, and the topic of Michael Fagan came up. He was the drunk who broke into BP decades ago and ended up sitting on the end of the Queen's bed having a chat for quite some time with HM, much to her annoyance.

Anyway, he apparently stated afterwards  that he had seen 'her wig on a wig stand'. I found this a bit startling as the news that the Queen wears wigs must have escaped me. A poster there (this discussion was years ago) wrote that the Palace later explained/admitted that the Queen did have wigs for different occasions. I wondered whether a BP spokesperson had in fact said such a thing. Can anybody remember that?

Very elderly women do sometimes suffer hair loss, bald patches and thinning of hair. The Queen's hair has always been so thick and springy. Have wigs been the answer? !!

I wonder if she's chosen to wear them over the years. She has always had naturally curly hair but like many women has likely experienced some hair loss over time. I recall that her mother's hair was quite thin when she was in her 90's.

Yes, the QM's hair was noticeably thin from her eighties on. She did have much finer hair than her daughters though. Both Elizabeth and Margaret always had plenty of thick hair.

but at the time of the Michael Fagan incident she was only midlde aged.  Was she really likely to be wearing a wig at that stage?  the queen's hair looks natural to me now.. so how likely is it?

It may be, it may not. In certain decades of the 20th century it was very fashionable to have a wig or two if you had a bad hair day, or wanted a change of style. Wigs are very natural looking nowadays. And some old ladies, though not me Thank God, do sometimes have very thin hair so it might be true in recent years.

It's also possible that she has always had some sort of hairpiece for tiara events.  They are so less common now, but it used to be that she would wear them even to cinema premieres.  They would perhaps be more comfortable with a cushion of matching wig hair. 

Quote from: Princess Cassandra on September 26, 2020, 02:00:46 PM
It's also possible that she has always had some sort of hairpiece for tiara events.  They are so less common now, but it used to be that she would wear them even to cinema premieres.  They would perhaps be more comfortable with a cushion of matching wig hair.

I think certainly the QM in her seventies and eighties may well have worn something of that kind on tiara days. Her hair became notably thin when she was old.

Quote from: Curryong on September 26, 2020, 02:24:10 PM
I think certainly the QM in her seventies and eighties may well have worn something of that kind on tiara days. Her hair became notably thin when she was old.

And, I can't imagine how uncomfortable some of those diadems are without plenty of hair to rest them on!

the queen was a lot younger when the Fagan incident happened.  I supose its possilbe that she wore some kind of false hair at times when wearing a crown or a tiara, but I honeslty dont think its likely.  Even today, her hair looks quite normal.. so is it that likely that she was wearing a hairpiece when she was a good deal younger

The Queen's rainbow wardrobe | Tatler (https://www.tatler.com/gallery/queen-rainbow-wardrobe)

She looks so lovely in bright jewel colours.  ( though not sure of the wisdom of matching your dress to McDonalds Golden Arches)

An extensive gallery of QEII's fashion, jewelry and accessories over the decades.

Photos of Queen Elizabeth's Style - How the British Queen's Fashion Has Evolved (https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/g24676517/queen-elizabeths-style-evolution/)

Queen Elizabeth II in the stunning Belgian sapphire tiara which she purchased to compliment a set of jewels from her father King George VI.

The Belgian Sapphire Tiara (https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2016/09/the-belgian-sapphire-tiara.html)

QuoteYou?ll also sometimes see this tiara called the ?Victorian Sapphire Tiara,? and that?s because it was acquired to coordinate with a set of Victorian-era sapphire jewels that the Queen already owned. She received the suite of sapphires ? a necklace and earrings (later supplemented by a bracelet and ring) ? from her father, King George VI, as a wedding present in 1947. (Hence, it?s also sometimes called the ?George VI Sapphire Tiara. So many names!) The pieces were a century old, reportedly made around 1850. Noel Coward apparently called the gems ?the largest sapphires [he had] ever seen.?

Princess Philippe of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, ne? Princess Louise of Belgium, eldest daughter of King Leopold II. 1870s.Published byJean Dorman

In 1963, ten years after she was crowned, the Queen decided to supplement her father?s sapphires with a tiara. She purchased a piece of jewelry that already had royal provenance ? a nineteenth-century sapphire necklace that had once belonged to Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (born Princess Louise of Belgium). Louise had a bit of a spending problem, to say the least.

To satisfy her debts, her father, King Leopold II, auctioned off all of the jewels that had been left to her by her late mother, Queen Henriette. Whether or not this particular necklace was in that group of auctioned jewels is unclear to me, but at some point, the sapphires were definitely sold.

Photo: GERRY PENNY/AFP/Getty Images

After it was purchased by Elizabeth II, the necklace was set on a frame, and since then, it has been worn by the queen exclusively as a tiara. When you look closely at the piece, its former life as a necklace is clear ? gems that now stand upright would have been articulated drops on Louise?s necklace. Apparently the piece wasn?t created to be easily converted back to a necklace, which is a shame ? you all know I have a soft spot for royal jewels that can pull double duty.

Photo: Toby Melville ? WPA Pool /Getty Images

The Queen wore this piece fairly frequently from the ?60s until the early ?90s, and then it retreated into the royal vaults for decades. Last autumn, however, the tiara made a surprise reappearance at a state banquet for the Chinese president. The Queen wears ?white? jewels for evening almost exclusively these days, so it was exciting to see her bring out a bit of color for a change.







   

Royal Central on some of QEII's most iconic hats over the decades. Which I certainly do remember. Favorite-The pink one from her Silver Jubilee. Least favorite in the group for me was the periwinkle puff.

The best of royal hats ? The Queen ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/the-best-of-royal-hats-the-queen-166032/)

Though Angela Kelly seems to have persuaded the Queen into a certain shape of chapeau over the last decade or so, leaving behind the off-the-face ones of earlier in her reign, I do love the first one in the link, for Royal Ascot, very pretty though it is a bit overly embellished. It softens the Queen?s face even more than usual I think.

My least favourite has always been the helmet hat she wore when installing Charles as POW. Very of its time, IMO. Perhaps it looked better in reality.

Quote from: Curryong on September 26, 2021, 10:08:56 PM
Though Angela Kelly seems to have persuaded the Queen into a certain shape of chapeau over the last decade or so, leaving behind the off-the-face ones of earlier in her reign, I do love the first one in the link, for Royal Ascot, very pretty though it is a bit overly embellished. It softens the Queen?s face even more than usual I think.

My least favourite has always been the helmet hat she wore when installing Charles as POW. Very of its time, IMO. Perhaps it looked better in reality.

I'm not in favor of any turban-type hat, and she wore a lot of them for a long time. I like the ones she wears now. 

QEII wearing her grandmother Queen Mary's magnificent Thistle Brooch today as she attends the opening of the Scottish Parliament. Queen Mary was definitely the magpie of the BRF and her descendants continue to wear her pieces today.

Queen Mary?s Diamond Thistle Brooch (https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2020/12/queen-marys-diamond-thistle-brooch.html)

QuoteThe brooch is designed as a long, stylized thistle set with diamonds and flanked by a pair of thistle leaves. The long stem of the thistle features a geometric diamond pattern, and the entire thing has something of an Art Deco sensibility to it.

(https://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/fashion/royal-style/20211002123092/the-queen-scottish-parliament-photos-brooch/0-594-551/queen-brooch-z.jpg)

(https://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/fashion/royal-style/20211002123092/the-queen-scottish-parliament-photos-brooch/0-594-552/queen-scotland-z.jpg)

The Queen wears meaningful brooch for the opening of Scottish Parliament | HELLO! (https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/20211002123092/the-queen-scottish-parliament-photos-brooch/)
HM Queen Elizabeth II wores brooches that belongs to her grandmother the Queen Mary

Quote from: TLLK on October 02, 2021, 04:03:21 PM
QEII wearing her grandmother Queen Mary's magnificent Thistle Brooch today as she attends the opening of the Scottish Parliament. Queen Mary was definitely the magpie of the BRF and her descendants continue to wear her pieces today.

Queen Mary?s Diamond Thistle Brooch (https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2020/12/queen-marys-diamond-thistle-brooch.html)

Yes, the collection would be a bit depleted without Queen Mary?s contributions (Lord, how that woman loved jewels) though Mrs Ronnie Greville helped a bit as well. The Thistle doesn?t scream Art Deco to me but it?s certainly a beautiful brooch. Queen Mary apparently wore it mostly on those distinctive toque hats of hers. What a hat pin!

I just love that shade of green on HM's coat and hat.....that is a very pretty color on her.  As for the diamond brooch, Queen Mary had a knack for getting her hands on diamonds and other jewels.  I don't think anything escaped her eye when it came to diamonds or any other jewel that were for sale out there.

HM in a vibrant green dress today for her recorded address. She also wore her usual three strand pearl necklace and a bejeweled butterfly brooch.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FDIbj2LX0AIamF3?format=jpg&name=small)

Throwback Fashion.  Bees!   I love it   :crazylove:    https://twitter.com/V_and_A/status/1459521483508752388/photo/1


Adorned with lavish gold and white beadwork, this evening dress was designed by Norman Hartnell for Queen Elizabeth II on a state visit to France. Can you spot the intricate bee motifs on the dress?


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEFDCzGX0AAUCGd?format=jpg&name=small)

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEFDDNfXwAU0Xbn?format=jpg&name=small)

Stunning craft work on that gown.

Amazing.

The embroidery on this dress is magnificent. Unfortunately the days of Fashion Houses employing teams of expert needle women on gowns like this as Hartnell did are long gone. The cost would be astronomical.

The Wedding Dress (https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/a-royal-wedding/buckingham-palace/the-wedding-dress)

Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown was inspired by Botticelli's painting Primavera.

@Curryong-I agree that those days of having such heavy, intricate beading and embroidery are now far too expensive. QEII's former daughters-in-law did have embroidery on their respective gowns, though Diana's was less than Sarah's as I recall and used sequins.  Sarah had extensive beading/embroidery on her wedding gown's bodice and train, but by the early and mid-eighties the cost must have been incredible. I can't imagine what that would have entailed to have it included on their skirts.

Quote from: TLLK on November 15, 2021, 01:20:42 AM
The Wedding Dress (https://www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/a-royal-wedding/buckingham-palace/the-wedding-dress)

Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown was inspired by Botticelli's painting Primavera.

@Curryong-I agree that those days of having such heavy, intricate beading and embroidery are now far too expensive. QEII's former daughters-in-law did have embroidery on their respective gowns, though Diana's was less than Sarah's as I recall and used sequins.  Sarah had extensive beading/embroidery on her wedding gown's bodice and train, but by the early and mid-eighties the cost must have been incredible. I can't imagine what that would have entailed to have it included on their skirts.

Wedding dress of Sarah Ferguson - Wikipedia (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Sarah_Ferguson)

Sarah?s wedding dress was estimated to have cost ?45 thousand pounds, which was an incredible sum of money for the 1980s although I?m surprised it wasn?t more, frankly. And who paid for this extravaganza of a gown one wonders?  Certainly not Fergie herself or the Ferguson family! Even if deals were made with the designer it would still mean many thousands of pounds paid out!

Quote from: Macrobug67 on November 15, 2021, 01:01:02 AM
Throwback Fashion.  Bees!   I love it   :crazylove:    https://twitter.com/V_and_A/status/1459521483508752388/photo/1


Adorned with lavish gold and white beadwork, this evening dress was designed by Norman Hartnell for Queen Elizabeth II on a state visit to France. Can you spot the intricate bee motifs on the dress?


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FEFDCzGX0AAUCGd?format=jpg&name=small)

[img]http


Wow, just stunning and the work that went into this gown is beyond priceless.  As someone who does needlework and has done beading in needlework I think this gown is a show stopper for sure.  Beading takes a very long time to do, an inch in hours to do.  Nothing like this is done today as the cost would be out of this world.

The Queen wears her 18th birthday gift in sentimental new photo | HELLO! (https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/royal-style/20220204132435/queen-royal-family-tribute-jubilee-brooch/)

IMO this is tiara that I associate with QEII's reign even though it was originally her grandmother Queen Mary's tiara.

The Queen?s Reign in Jewels: The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/uk/the-queens-reign-in-jewels-the-girls-of-great-britain-and-ireland-tiara-174258/)

QuoteThe Queen has access to countless impressive tiaras, many that we know of and more that we don?t. However, one of her most worn and most beloved tiaras is ?Granny?s Tiara?, also known as Queen Mary?s Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.

Lady Eve Greville formed a committee of society women in 1893 to raise funds to purchase a tiara for Princess Mary of Teck in honour of wedding to Prince George. Mary had been previously engaged to George?s older brother but when Prince Albert Victor died of the flu in 1892, Mary and George gradually grew close and eventually announced their engagement.

The committee collected over ?5,000. The majority of the funds were used to purchase a diamond and pearl tiara from royal jeweller Garrard, and the remaining money was donated to a fund that would be used to support the widows and orphans left behind after the sinking of the HMS Victoria.

In The Queen?s Jewels, author Leslie Field describes the tiara as ?a diamond festoon-and?scroll design surmounted by nine large oriental pearls on diamond spikes and set on a bandeau base of alternate round and lozenge collets between two plain bands of diamonds.?

In 1914, Mary had Garrard remove the pearls and replace them with diamonds, and in the late 1910s, she removed the bandeau base to wear separately. While the pearls were then used for the Lover?s Knot Tiara, the base has been added back on occasionally.

Queen Mary gave the then-Princess Elizabeth the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara as a gift for her 1947 wedding; the tiara went on display with thousands of other wedding gifts at St. James?s Palace.

Queen Elizabeth II wore the tiara for a sitting with photographer Dorothy Wilding, just weeks after her accession in February 1952. The tiara remains one of The Queen?s favourites, and she has worn it for countless portraits and state events. 

Yes, this tiara, which is truly gorgeous IMO, is one of the two which will be forever associated with the present Queen. In a reign of 70 years this tiara is really one of her favourites, but I wouldn?t be surprised if it is more associated in her mind with memories of her beloved grandmother.

A little history on the Grima Ruby Brooch or also known as the Scarab Brooch worn by HM the Queen at yesterday's Service of Thanksgiving. It's a piece that has personal history for the Queen and the late  DoE and it has been worn several times during her reign.

Queen?s Grima Ruby Brooch | The Royal Watcher (https://royalwatcherblog.com/2021/06/10/queens-grima-ruby-brooch/)

QuoteFeaturing a carved ruby of an abstract design of gold frame sunburst set with large central ruby carved with overlapping petals encircled by six lesser size rubies cut as buds, all set with scattered diamonds, the Grima Ruby Brooch (called the Scarab Brooch by the Palace) was created by celebrated jeweller Andrew Grima, and acquired by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1966, part of the collection that won Andrew Grima The Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design. Grima had gotten Royal Patronage after Lord Snowdon complained ?that nothing interesting was going on when it came to jewelry?, and both brothers-in-law ordered many pieces for their families in the 1960s and 70s.
Embed from Getty Images

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/05/17/14/57922011-10825097-image-m-54_1652792542359.jpg)

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/05/17/13/57921347-10825097-image-a-38_1652791683133.jpg)
HM Queen Elizabeth II wores this brooch that gifts from government of Singapore in 2012
Queen dons a diamond and gold bird of paradise brooch to open the Elizabeth line in Paddington | Daily Mail Online (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10825097/Queen-dons-diamond-gold-bird-paradise-brooch-open-Elizabeth-line-Paddington.html)

Style Moments of the Reign: The Queen?s most famous accessory ? Royal Central (https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/style-moments-of-the-reign-the-queens-most-famous-accessory-176891/)  Her head scarves are typically seen when she's "off duty" and when she was riding.

QuoteQueen Elizabeth II is known for her stylish headwear. Her hats are legendary, for a while she was the owner of a string of seriously stylish turbans and then, of course, come those tiaras and the crown. But one accessory The Queen truly enjoys is a headscarf.

Most recently, Her Majesty was seen wearing a scarf and beaming with pride at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, where her pony won first place. Very often Queen Elizabeth chooses a head scarf for more casual events, such as horse races, driving around her estates or heading for a train. But she has been known to don the headwear for more official duties. She greeted former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as they arrived at Windsor Castle for lunch wearing a blur floral scarf. They did arrive by helicopter, so it was wise of The Queen to choose a scarf and preserve her hairdo. Years earlier, The Queen went horseback riding with former President Ronald Reagan and chose a headscarf to complete her look.

In the Jubilee thread, HM message.  Her fashion:

Rebecca English
@RE_DailyMail

Her Majesty?s outfit is an Angela Kelly coat and dress in a dusky dove blue fabric of wool Charmelaine embellished with pearl and diamante trim around the neckline and cascading down the front of the coat.
Location
The photo was taken in the Victoria Vestibule, Windsor Castle

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/01/18/58557831-10875859-image-a-38_1654106243471.jpg)
HM Queen Elizabeth II looks so lovely and dressed in a dusky dove blue Angela Kelly coat designer by Angela Kelly

Queen Elizabeth II's rainbow wardrobe: 96-year-old monarch doesn't dress to blend in | GMA (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/style/story/queen-elizabeth-iis-rainbow-wardrobe-96-year-monarch-63451126)
In her reign years she know what she chose for colors for events and public also but royal watchers know what monarch will wear colors no matter fit for her

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/02/14/58594743-10878631-The_brooch_is_made_out_of_natural_diamonds_and_combines_the_badg-a-46_1654175087098.jpg)
(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/02/14/58594745-10878631-Her_Majesty_followed_tradition_again_this_year_and_gave_a_nod_to-a-38_1654175087092.jpg)
HM Queen Elizabeth II wores brooch is made out of natural diamonds, and combines the badges of the five regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies, which include Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards not since The Brigade of Guards Brooch was originally created for Queen Mary, the Queen's grandmother, and it's been in the royal family for more than a century. A replice was created for Queen Mary's daughter, Princess Mary, and was presented to her by from Garrard by the Brigade of Guards for her wedding in 1922. The five symbols are enclosed in an oval frame with the Latin phrase, 'Quinque Juncta In Uno,' which translates in English to 'five joined as one.' The Queen?s extensive personal jewellery collection is impressive and awe-inspiring and it's said to include more than 300 pieces. 

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/02/22/58614837-10880139-image-m-43_1654206250891.jpg)
(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/06/02/22/58614833-10880139-image-a-40_1654206202776.jpg)
Platinum Jubilee brooch commissioned by the Goldsmiths? Company It also includes the lily of the valley, one of her favourite flowers and used in her Coronation bouquet.The brooch was inspired by the four nations which make up the UK, which are represented by four diamond swirls and the national flowers: the rose, the thistle, the daffodil and the shamrock.

Queen wears her diamond-encrusted Brigade of Guards brooch | Daily Mail Online (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10878631/Queen-wears-diamond-encrusted-Brigade-Guards-brooch.html)