TTOT194 Fashioning The Crown: A Story of Power, Conflict and Couture
Author, Justine Picardie in conversation with RSN Curator of Textiles, Dr Isabella Rosner
Wednesday 18 March 2026, 7pm UK
From the birth of the house of Windsor in 1917, its leading women - Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth II - faced the perils of abdication and assassination, revolution and the rise of fascism, the threat of invasion and all-out war. Their sartorial decisions, alongside those of their royal husbands, projected power and perpetuity, diplomacy and defiance.
In this story of espionage and exquisite couture, acclaimed author and journalist, Justine Picardie reveals the undercover lives of the creators behind the façade - including Hardy Amies, Cecil Beaton, Norman Hartnell and Edward Molyneux - and traces the ways in which visual iconography safeguarded the monarchy, even when their reign seemed to be hanging by a thread.
Join Justine for this exclusive RSN online talk with Dr Isabella Rosner to discover how her original research in the Royal Archives and her own experiences at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, reveal the family feuds and international conflicts that challenged the Crown, and how royal fashion has long been wielded as a weapon.
Justine Picardie photo credit: Richard-Phibbs
This talk will not be recorded so please join us live on 18 March!
Supporting the RSN
The minimum requested donation for this talk is £8.50 per person, but you may donate a higher value of your choosing if you wish. Please note that Gift Aid (UK tax payers only) is only applicable for donations over £8.50. As a charity, we are very grateful for any support you can give us to put towards the RSN's essential costs. Thank you.
Important Information
This event is a LIVE online talk at the given date and time and will last between approximately 60-90 minutes including questions and answers. You will need access to a suitable computer (with audio/video), tablet or smartphone device. You will receive your personalised Zoom invite no later than 24 hours before the event (3 hours if booked on the day). Your Zoom invite is unique to you and should not be shared, otherwise you may be unable to view the Talk. We recommend that you download and install the Zoom app on your device in advance of the Talk.
Attendees Outside the UK
This Talk will run from 7pm to approximately 8:30pm (19:00 to 20:30 hours) UK local time. If you are outside of the UK please check your local time, particularly if your location changes to/from Daylight Savings Time on a different schedule to the UK during March/April. To check and convert times please visit TimeAndDate.com.
For details on further RSN Talk events please visit our Online Talks page.
Author, Justine Picardie in conversation with RSN Curator of Textiles, Dr Isabella Rosner
Wednesday 18 March 2026, 7pm UK
From the birth of the house of Windsor in 1917, its leading women – Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth II – faced the perils of abdication and assassination, revolution and the rise of fascism, the threat of invasion and all-out war. Their sartorial decisions, alongside those of their royal husbands, projected power and perpetuity, diplomacy and defiance.
In this story of espionage and exquisite couture, acclaimed author and journalist, Justine Picardie reveals the undercover lives of the creators behind the façade – including Hardy Amies, Cecil Beaton, Norman Hartnell and Edward Molyneux – and traces the ways in which visual iconography safeguarded the monarchy, even when their reign seemed to be hanging by a thread.
Join Justine for this exclusive RSN online talk with Dr Isabella Rosner to discover how her original research in the Royal Archives and her own experiences at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, reveal the family feuds and international conflicts that challenged the Crown, and how royal fashion has long been wielded as a weapon.
Justine Picardie photo credit: Richard-Phibbs
This talk will not be recorded so please join us live on 18 March!
Supporting the RSN
The minimum requested donation for this talk is £8.50 per person, but you may donate a higher value of your choosing if you wish. Please note that Gift Aid (UK tax payers only) is only applicable for donations over £8.50. As a charity, we are very grateful for any support you can give us to put towards the RSN’s essential costs. Thank you.
Important Information
This event is a LIVE online talk at the given date and time and will last between approximately 60-90 minutes including questions and answers. You will need access to a suitable computer (with audio/video), tablet or smartphone device. You will receive your personalised Zoom invite no later than 24 hours before the event (3 hours if booked on the day). Your Zoom invite is unique to you and should not be shared, otherwise you may be unable to view the Talk. We recommend that you download and install the Zoom app on your device in advance of the Talk.
Attendees Outside the UK
This Talk will run from 7pm to approximately 8:30pm (19:00 to 20:30 hours) UK local time. If you are outside of the UK please check your local time, particularly if your location changes to/from Daylight Savings Time on a different schedule to the UK during March/April. To check and convert times please visit TimeAndDate.com.
For details on further RSN Talk events please visit our Online Talks page.
Booking
929 in stock
Suggested Price: £8.50
Related Products
-
18/03/2026 Suggested Price: £8.50 929 123
TTOT194 Fashioning The Crown: A Story of Power, Conflict and Couture
Suggested Price: £8.50 Buy now -
11/03/2026 Suggested Price: £8.50 977 123
TTOT192 Queer Crafts: Material Practices and the Making of Identity
Suggested Price: £8.50 Buy now -
18/02/2026 Suggested Price: £8.50 Course completed
TTOT191 The Litany of Loreto and the History of Embroidery
Suggested Price: £8.50 Buy now