Book Review: HRH by Elizabeth Holmes
The first book I read this year was HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style by Elizabeth Holmes, my best friend got it for me for Christmas, not even knowing it was top of my list, and I just couldn’t put it down!
I’m almost upset that I read this book so quickly but I guess that means I have even more time to go back and read it over and over again.
I’m not sure I’ve really mentioned it here on the blog but I absolutely love following royal families, specifically the British Royal Family, and I’ve always loved their fashion. So of course, when I see a book discussing the fashion of Her Majesty The Queen, Princess Diana, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Sussex, you have my attention immediately. I just love their outfits, even Diana’s very 80s looks, and especially any look completed with a hat. (Can we bring hats back to the U.S. when Covid is gone? I’m ready to dress up just for a grocery run!)
I honestly expected this book to mostly be photos of memorable outfits with some commentary here and there. However, the way Elizabeth put this book together far exceeded any expectations, it’s equally informational and entertaining. The knowledge she provides along with her commentary is just so perfect and had me feeling like someone had taken a look into my brain, saw everything I’ve always thought about how royals and fashion and put it altogether so eloquently and with additional research.
“Their wardrobes are a treasure trove of meaning. Beyond the specific analysis of any one look, my hope is for all to see the power of fashion. If this is one way these women speak, then this is one way we should listen”
Elizabeth’s analysis was so exciting and why I absolutely devoured this book, I wanted to keep reading but go slowly all at once to really savor it all. I appreciated the extensive background information she included on each royal woman because not only does that appeal to those who already know that information but even to someone who isn’t necessarily a royal watcher and just someone interested in the fashion, it gave extra insight into the choices they make.
How the book is set up going from Queen Elizabeth, to Diana, to Kate, to Meghan, makes sense of course in the order they joined the family but it also makes sense in the relationship with fashion the women they share. Holmes points out that the Queen and Kate have similar approaches to style and Diana and Meghan have similarities as well, something I never put together but the layout of the books really helps spotlight. Holmes also pointed out in her instagram stories that she hinted to that with the cover of her book as well, having The Queen and Kate both wearing hats and Diana and Meghan without.
I started following the royals back when Kate married into the family and followed closely for a number of years and then my interest kind of lagged until Meghan married in. So I felt well versed in their favorite designers and style preferences but even I found myself fascinated with the different motifs used by each of them and the storytelling they do with their outfits, some of which I never picked up on. For instance, in Meghan’s section, Elizabeth pointed out her choice of blush tones and light creamy shades at the beginning of her marriage and royal work and how Meghan had even said, in her days on Suits, that she used those colors for her character to signify she was in love and happy. realizing that Meghan brought that into her own life as well, really transforms how I view these outfits I already loved from simply a style viewpoint.
^ Photos from Getty, Dominic Lipinski/WPA-Pool, Royal Family Twitter account, and John Stillwell / AP
“These women have given me a profound appreciate for fashion in its many iterations, and the ways in which clothing can support a much bigger goal.”
Mostly I just really appreciated how this book made me love fashion again. With COVID-19 giving little reason to put effort into my outfits, it made me want to dress up for fun. And because it can be so powerful, even if the only person seeing my outfit is me and my dogs! I feel like it brought back my appreciation for clothes and how everyone interprets style and the bigger meaning behind it all.
Last year I think I finished three books, so this year I really just wanted to read more than three but I also decided to make a Good Reads account and set a goal of 15 books. I figured a book a month plus a couple extras seemed reasonable and Good Reads has actually made it fun to keep track of where I am with that goal. So far I’ve read four books and I really enjoy having a digital bookshelf that I can go look at anytime. It also fills the curiosity I have for what other people are reading and how easily influenced I am by what books others are interested in. I promise this isn’t an ad, I just didn’t know where else to fit this in!😂