It may have been 4 years since HM Queen of Great Britain died at the ripe old age of 96, but she is still very much in the hearts and minds of Brit gay guys in particular.  It’s a bit like King Charles, who?  As a constitutional monarch, she was not supposed to put her personal stamp on legislation or new initiatives, but was expected to put her stamp on the government’s program. But when her reign first started in the 1950s, same-sex sexual relations were criminalized in Britain. 

However, during her long reign,  the landscape for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer rights looked dramatically different in part because she approved of many pro-LGBTQ measures, such as same-sex marriage. That support has led some to argue that she was a “quiet” supporter of LGBTQ rights, but to others she was just doing her job.   

Queerguru belongs to the former, and the only time we ever thought less of the high regard we held her in was the week after Princess Diana died, when, for the first time ever, she misread the people’s minds.   

Charles waited years to take over from his mother, and it’s days like today… one day from the USA Election… that we are so grateful he is a King and NOT a President.

So now, the first of two wonderful exhibits celebrating the life of the Queen is on in the King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace: Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style.

It displays the remarkable style of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch through clothing worn in all ten decades of her life – from birth to adulthood, from princess to queen, and from off-duty style to dressing for the global stage for momentous occasions in Britain’s history. Featuring more than 300 items, many on display for the first time, this is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion ever mounted.  Featuring more than 300 items, many on display for the first time, this is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of the late Queen’s fashion ever mounted.

Queen Elizabeth II was known for wearing bright, vibrant colors. This was for one specific purpose. She was a mere 5’3″ tall  so it was to make it easier for everyone to spot her at her official events, so no matter where they were in the crowd, they could see her.  Beige was a no-no, and black was purely for funerals 

Then next summer, the same gallery in Buckingham Palace will be home to Royal Jewelry: From Coronations to Keepsakes, which will explore 500 years of British royal jewelry, with more than 300 pieces on display from the 16th century to the present day. So there will be pieces worn by monarchs from Henry VIII and Charles II to Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, alongside paintings, designs and documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.  It will also include magnificent jewels made for coronations and other important royal occasions. 

The exhibition follows the story of royal jewelry, from the work of early royal goldsmiths to designs by famous jewelry houses such as Garrard & Co, Cartier, Boucheron and Fabergé.  Discover how jewelry has helped shape the image of the monarchy over the centuries.

While the Crown Jewels will not feature in the exhibition and will remain on show at the Tower of London, the exhibition 

Highlights include the Diamond Diadem made for George IV, Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown, and Queen Charlotte’s garnet jewels.