Analysis: Why the Queen isn’t celebrating her platinum jubilee just yet
A version of this story appeared in the February 4 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. For example, did you know that the vivid color blocks for which she is famous are a deliberate choice, to help those of us who line the streets to see her? “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say ‘I saw the Queen,'” according to the Countess of Wessex in the 2016 documentary “The Queen at 90.” But don’t just take Sophie’s word — even the Queen once reportedly said: “I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am.” There is an art to dressing one of the most photographed women in history. Over her 70-year reign the Queen has amassed an army of staffers, but few have been trusted with the task of royal dressmaker.Angela Kelly, who has been dressing the Queen since 1994, has helped craft an airtight strategy for ensuring the sovereign looks effortless at every engagement she attends. That approach includes weighted hem-lines and a signature hat, in addition to researching weather forecasts and local customs. Read the story here.POSTCARDS FROM ROYALS AROUND THE GLOBEItaly’s former royal family want the crown jewels back.On June 5, 1946, a representative of Italy’s royal family deposited the crown jewels in the Bank of Italy. The move came three days after Italians voted in a referendum to abolish the monarchy. And that is where the pieces have remained to this day. Now, the family wants the gems returned. The grandson of former King Umberto II, Emanuele Filiberto of the House of Savoy, represented the family at a mediation session last week, according to the family’s lawyer, Sergio Orlandi. But while bank representatives were present, the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Economy and Finances were not. In a statement sent to CNN last week, the Prime Minister’s press office said the family’s request was “unfounded, given that it concerns assets constituting the ‘endowment of the Crown of the Kingdom of Italy’ and not personal assets of the House of Savoy.” Find out more on this story.
“Throughout the pandemic, the response of the engineering community has been extraordinary. From the first months, where rapid deployment of testing systems and ventilators provided vital assistance to healthcare professionals, to the maintenance of a global communication infrastructure, every facet of engineering has played a part.”
Princess Anne praises engineers for their work during the pandemic as she marked the announcement of Dr Masato Sagawa, the 2022 winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering.
