“If I wore beige, nobody would know who I am.” — Queen Elizabeth II

In honor of the late queen — a fabulous, complicated, and undeniably iconic figure — this week’s MOOD will be a lot British and a wee bit royal.

 

As legend has it, the Queen Mother (Elizabeth II’s mum) loved gin so much that one morning her daughter woke up to four empty bottles in a drinks’ cupboard after an evening at Clarence House. 

 

I don’t plan on having that much fun anytime soon, but if I do, it’ll be with a bottle of Empress 1908 Gin.

British cuisine is the butt of many jokes. But the idea that it is bad is a misconception. In my opinion, the English make great food. I gobble down the chocolate, “biscuits”, and this miraculous condiment on a cheddar cheese sandwich. 

 

If you are skeptical or need a little English food knowledge, watch this Vogue video of Florence Pugh eating a 12-course menu of English cuisine. She’s delightful, and it just might be the best 10 minutes of your day.

The British royal family has one of the largest private art collections in the world. This is not the moment to discuss the very legitimate concerns over how those wealth and assets came to be in their possession. 

 

Who is featured in this collection, you might ask? Basically every famous artist you can think of, from Leonardo da Vinci to Andy Warhol. I appreciated this photographic tribute to the queen made by the Royal Collection Trust. If the video is a tad too long for you, this article delves into detail about the collection. 

When someone speaks in a British accent, doesn’t it seem to carry more authority? That’s why I gather most of my news and gossip from the Brits. First stop, I confess, is the Daily Mail online “news” site. 

 

After I get my fill of gossip, I jump over to the BBC’s Global News Podcast, then the Guardian’s Today in Focus and Throughline on NPR to get the full story.