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HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style
Veteran style journalist Elizabeth Holmes expands her popular Instagram series, So Many Thoughts, into a nuanced look at the fashion and branding of the four most influential members of the British Royal Family: Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge; and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are global style icons, their every fashion choice chronicled and celebrated. With all eyes on them, the duchesses select clothes that send a message about their values, interests, and priorities. Their thoughtful sartorial strategies follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, two towering figures known for using their personal style to great acclaim.
With one section devoted to each woman, HRH is a celebration of their stories and their style, pairing hundreds of gorgeous photographs with extensive research. A picture emerges of the British monarchy’s evolution and the power of royal fashion, showing there’s always more than what meets the eye.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are global style icons, their every fashion choice chronicled and celebrated. With all eyes on them, the duchesses select clothes that send a message about their values, interests, and priorities. Their thoughtful sartorial strategies follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, two towering figures known for using their personal style to great acclaim.
With one section devoted to each woman, HRH is a celebration of their stories and their style, pairing hundreds of gorgeous photographs with extensive research. A picture emerges of the British monarchy’s evolution and the power of royal fashion, showing there’s always more than what meets the eye.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published November 17, 2020
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
1 book90 followersElizabeth Holmes has so many thoughts about a lot of things...but mostly the British Royal Family. She is a longtime journalist, Crown enthusiast, and hair accessory devotee. Elizabeth spent more than a decade on staff at the Wall Street Journal, most recently as a senior style reporter and columnist exploring the power of fashion; now she is a contributing editor at Town & Country magazine. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband and three small children. You can find her commenting on the royals on Instagram at @EHolmes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews
November 23, 2020
Too much text! The prose was repetitive and jumped around in time in a way that felt disorganized and confusing. And it was very light on the fashion commentary that I was hoping for. I wanted the kind of nuanced dissections from the author's Instagram and instead just got generic gushing.
I knew this wouldn't be a great book to read in e, but it really felt like very little thought went into the e layout. The text and related images almost never appeared on the same screen, and I was reading on a full size iPad.
I knew this wouldn't be a great book to read in e, but it really felt like very little thought went into the e layout. The text and related images almost never appeared on the same screen, and I was reading on a full size iPad.
June 27, 2021
This was a library borrow. The written part was well edited and seemed historically accurate, but the real beauty of the book to me is the photos. Recommended for those interested in the royals, fashion or photography.
November 21, 2020
I have so many thoughts about this books. Obviously lol
Fashion or just generally clothes are such an important part of peoples' personalities and sadly it's totally underrated. Holmes last sentence is imo the core message: "The next time you pick out an outfit, stop to consider: what would you like your clothes to say about you?"
I ~know the author and the "So many Thoughts" thingy (SMT) from instagram. She's moved on quite a bit to a blog but I don't do blogs so I've no idea what goes on there. Her instagramming has died down more or less but that might be because of the pandemic and Holmes being busy with her book. Which is why we're here.
Imo, this book came way too early. I would've liked way more years of Meghan to be put into perspective with the other three HRHs. For Liz, Diana and Kate there's a visible progression and I think the book would've profited to see Meghan's progression, especially now that she's living in the US and trying to establish...well, something.
Also, this book needed an editor. Okay, that's snarky because a) Holmes is an experienced journalist and b) I'm sure the book had an editor. But there's like so many gaps and half informations that I actually had to google incomplete information. Also why describe outfit after outfit without the pictures? I mean Holmes probably had an already generous picture budget but sometimes it felt like a boring read without visualization (example: right in the beginning when it's about Kelly modernizing the Queen's dressing style...like I NEED A SLIDESHOW FOR THAT PLS).
I also would've loved more information on clothing/styling protocol (what about hair, nail polish and whatnot) and ngl, if I were Holmes, I would've at least included a few screenshots of her SMTs.
I don't know...it read like a nice stroll down memory line but in the end it felt like I was reading an exposé of a book not yet ready for publication. Maybe the publisher will splurge on a re-edition in 2025...post corona (fingers crossed) and when we have a better idea and picture of who Meghan wants to be and has become.
I didn't like the font but I love the format of the book.
Fashion or just generally clothes are such an important part of peoples' personalities and sadly it's totally underrated. Holmes last sentence is imo the core message: "The next time you pick out an outfit, stop to consider: what would you like your clothes to say about you?"
I ~know the author and the "So many Thoughts" thingy (SMT) from instagram. She's moved on quite a bit to a blog but I don't do blogs so I've no idea what goes on there. Her instagramming has died down more or less but that might be because of the pandemic and Holmes being busy with her book. Which is why we're here.
Imo, this book came way too early. I would've liked way more years of Meghan to be put into perspective with the other three HRHs. For Liz, Diana and Kate there's a visible progression and I think the book would've profited to see Meghan's progression, especially now that she's living in the US and trying to establish...well, something.
Also, this book needed an editor. Okay, that's snarky because a) Holmes is an experienced journalist and b) I'm sure the book had an editor. But there's like so many gaps and half informations that I actually had to google incomplete information. Also why describe outfit after outfit without the pictures? I mean Holmes probably had an already generous picture budget but sometimes it felt like a boring read without visualization (example: right in the beginning when it's about Kelly modernizing the Queen's dressing style...like I NEED A SLIDESHOW FOR THAT PLS).
I also would've loved more information on clothing/styling protocol (what about hair, nail polish and whatnot) and ngl, if I were Holmes, I would've at least included a few screenshots of her SMTs.
I don't know...it read like a nice stroll down memory line but in the end it felt like I was reading an exposé of a book not yet ready for publication. Maybe the publisher will splurge on a re-edition in 2025...post corona (fingers crossed) and when we have a better idea and picture of who Meghan wants to be and has become.
I didn't like the font but I love the format of the book.
November 13, 2020
A feminist and deeply lovely dive into royal style with humor, wit, and love.
November 19, 2020
I thought I might enjoy looking at the pictures and reading the captions and then this book would look really pretty on the table in my (blue & gray) home office. That was not at all how it played out. I stayed up way too late and couldn't put it down until I had read it cover-to-cover. (RESIST the urge to go straight to the Diana section!)
My only complaint - and it's a minor one, if it even is a complaint - is that I felt like sometimes the author was giving credit (or blame) to the princesses for styles that were simply the look of the time. She praises Diana for being a princess who would appear in public while pregnant but takes marks away because it was in a tent dress. Diana was pregnant in the 80s! That was the only maternity look we knew. I was pregnant in the early 90s and everything I wore was a tent - dresses and tops alike. Even my maternity swimsuit was a tent! It wasn't until later that decade that women began wearing fitted maternity wear. I remember seeing it and noticing the striking difference. The author kind of gives Kate and Meghan credit for wearing maternity dresses that weren't "tents like Diana's," when in fact that was simply what women were wearing at the time.
Terrific book and it brought back so many beautiful memories of Di and was a window into so much of the royal women. So much more than simply their sartorial choices.
My only complaint - and it's a minor one, if it even is a complaint - is that I felt like sometimes the author was giving credit (or blame) to the princesses for styles that were simply the look of the time. She praises Diana for being a princess who would appear in public while pregnant but takes marks away because it was in a tent dress. Diana was pregnant in the 80s! That was the only maternity look we knew. I was pregnant in the early 90s and everything I wore was a tent - dresses and tops alike. Even my maternity swimsuit was a tent! It wasn't until later that decade that women began wearing fitted maternity wear. I remember seeing it and noticing the striking difference. The author kind of gives Kate and Meghan credit for wearing maternity dresses that weren't "tents like Diana's," when in fact that was simply what women were wearing at the time.
Terrific book and it brought back so many beautiful memories of Di and was a window into so much of the royal women. So much more than simply their sartorial choices.
November 24, 2020
I preordered this book thinking that it would be more very detailed looks at clothing of the royals and the thought that goes behind their clothing. Instead I felt like it was more of a brief family history of the British Royals. I felt like I wasn’t learning anything new.
November 27, 2020
It was interesting, but the text was repetitive and the pictures could have been better. I wished the outfits mentioned in the text had been pictured on the same page. The book also seems a bit biased against Kate Middleton and towards Meghan Markle.
January 1, 2021
If this is your fandom, this is your book.
December 26, 2020
LOVED this! Read it one sitting. I am a huge Kate/Meghan fan, and I loved reading and understanding the meaning and importance of clothes these influential women upheld!! 💙💙💙💙
January 25, 2021
Recommended by Andrea. Read her review on the Cook Memorial Public Library blog, Shelf Life: https://shelflife.cooklib.org/2021/01...
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
January 19, 2021
An absolute delight!
December 18, 2020
I’ve followed Elizabeth on instagram for several years now, because her analysis of royal fashion is unmatched. This book is thoughtful, well-researched, and fun! It was great to learn more about the royal family, some basics of British history, and more background about each of the women (Elizabeth II, Diana, Catherine, and Meghan). Watching what the royals wear is a fun and engaging pastime, and I’m glad she’s continuing to share so many thoughts :)
February 22, 2021
3.5 stars -
This is a great coffee table book. I read a biography of Diana as well as Queen Elizabeth II this year, so this was a nice visual companion. I did feel some parts of the book were a bit repetitive, especially in Meghan Markle's section. Overall, it was a fun read for royal enthusiasts!
This is a great coffee table book. I read a biography of Diana as well as Queen Elizabeth II this year, so this was a nice visual companion. I did feel some parts of the book were a bit repetitive, especially in Meghan Markle's section. Overall, it was a fun read for royal enthusiasts!
January 29, 2021
I love following the Royals. This book was pure entertainment and beautiful photographs and the author is also a delight to follow on Instagram.
January 9, 2021
SMT!!! Love this author’s Instagram account and her take on four royal women - the queen, Diana, Kate, and Meghan. Amazing research and photos! 👑
November 24, 2020
I thought I’d like this book. I’m a fan of Holmes’ SMTs and thought, well, even if not a book of SMTs, I’ll probably be interested in the commentary and the fashion is fun to look at. But y’all. I was not prepared to LOVE this the way I did!
I don’t often finish nonfiction (whoops!) but read this cover to cover in three days. I was most captured by Diana and Meghan’s stories and style (unsurprisingly, lots of connections) and fascinated by the sartorial pressures put on the Queen and to-be-Queen-consort. Five stars for how purely captured I was by this book and the capital-F fun I had while reading it.
I don’t often finish nonfiction (whoops!) but read this cover to cover in three days. I was most captured by Diana and Meghan’s stories and style (unsurprisingly, lots of connections) and fascinated by the sartorial pressures put on the Queen and to-be-Queen-consort. Five stars for how purely captured I was by this book and the capital-F fun I had while reading it.
January 4, 2021
I have been following Elizabeth Holmes on Instagram for a while, so I knew this was going to be good. But it was even better than I expected! I thought I would mostly look at pictures and skim the text but I read it all. I of course loved the Diana chapter the best, followed by Kate. Meghan’s made me kind of sad. A must read for any level royal-watcher.
November 20, 2020
I’ve followed Elizabeth Holmes on Instagram for several years now, and I’ve always devoured her SMT’s on Kate and Meghan. When she announced that she was releasing a book on Royal fashion, I couldn’t pre-order it fast enough!
Let me just say, the engaging way that Elizabeth connects with her followers online is reflected in this book- the long-form essays still have her signature snapshot SMT feel while providing more detail and narrative- it’s a nice evolution from what you know of her work already!
The different sections on the Queen, Diana, Kate, and Meghan were so excellent, and I couldn’t put the book down. I especially loved her chapter on Diana, because she was the Royal I had the least familiarity with in terms of her fashion. Her nuanced and detailed observations on the sartorial lives of these women were on-point and fascinating!
I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of fashion or the royals! The pictures alone will grab you and not let go :)
Let me just say, the engaging way that Elizabeth connects with her followers online is reflected in this book- the long-form essays still have her signature snapshot SMT feel while providing more detail and narrative- it’s a nice evolution from what you know of her work already!
The different sections on the Queen, Diana, Kate, and Meghan were so excellent, and I couldn’t put the book down. I especially loved her chapter on Diana, because she was the Royal I had the least familiarity with in terms of her fashion. Her nuanced and detailed observations on the sartorial lives of these women were on-point and fascinating!
I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of fashion or the royals! The pictures alone will grab you and not let go :)
February 22, 2021
Gave me a lot to think about, which I didn't necessarily expect. Much more in depth than Holmes' instagram, so I appreciated the additional royal context.
Interesting side note that doesn't have a conclusion but is a thing I realized nonetheless: Part of what draws me to royal fashion is the intersection of presentation and "modesty" - my upbringing means that I'm drawn to what Kate and Meghan wear because it's both stylish and usually fits Mormon "standards" of dress. (There's a lot of added context and culture and background to those things in quotes, hence the quotes.) I know there's a lot to unpack there and I'm gonna be thinking about this for a while, but it was a useful thing to realize during my read.
Interesting side note that doesn't have a conclusion but is a thing I realized nonetheless: Part of what draws me to royal fashion is the intersection of presentation and "modesty" - my upbringing means that I'm drawn to what Kate and Meghan wear because it's both stylish and usually fits Mormon "standards" of dress. (There's a lot of added context and culture and background to those things in quotes, hence the quotes.) I know there's a lot to unpack there and I'm gonna be thinking about this for a while, but it was a useful thing to realize during my read.
January 6, 2021
Loved! A great addition to my royal bookshelf. I am not a fashionable person 🤣 but I really enjoy reading about fashion and so this was an interesting take on royal life and the sartorial choices these women make.
January 8, 2021
I love Elizabeth's instagram so I knew I had to pre order this book. It was a great overview of the Queen, Princess Diana, Kate, and Meghan's fashion style. It also gives a lot of history of the major points of there lives. It enjoyed it. The pictures are fantastic!
October 31, 2022
If you know me, then you know I have loved The Royal Family my entire life. This book has been sitting on my bookcase for awhile but amidst recent events decided to finally give it a read rather than skim the pictures. I loved reading about the lives of these four incredible women and how they so uniquely forged their own path through fashion.
June 16, 2023
I love anything about the British royal family, so I devoured this book. As well as the "so many thoughts," which are intelligent and insightful, the book contains lots and lots of photos. A real treat for royal fans!
November 24, 2020
If you’ve finished binging the crown, now is the time to binge this book! It’s the intersection of allllll my interests and I’m thrilled I can look through the pictures every day bc they spark joy.
March 8, 2021
LOVED LOVED LOVED
If you have an interest in the English royal family and/or fashion, this is a must-read.
I also appreciated that everything in here is examined extremely thoughtfully and not just a gossip rag of who wore what when and who wore it best. It's a (gorgeous) study into the messages that fashion shares and how savvy one must be to utilize it.
If you have an interest in the English royal family and/or fashion, this is a must-read.
I also appreciated that everything in here is examined extremely thoughtfully and not just a gossip rag of who wore what when and who wore it best. It's a (gorgeous) study into the messages that fashion shares and how savvy one must be to utilize it.
September 22, 2022
If you like fashion this is a great deep dive. The author handles the stories that these ladies tell (by their clothing choices) with sensitivity, insight, and interesting research. Just a fun escape.
February 4, 2021
If you like the royals, this is a must read. Beautiful photos, interesting anecdotes, and a refreshingly unbiased account of Meghan Markle.
October 24, 2021
If you are a fan of anything royal it's worth it just for the photos. Nothing I hadn't seen before, I don't think, but a great collection and fun to see the evolution of royal fashion over several generations. Not being familiar with the author I sort of expected the text to be skippable but I ended up reading every word.
April 11, 2021
I am once again counting a coffee table book among my books read and I have no regrets.
January 27, 2021
A coffee table book I actually read cover to cover. Divine, a wonderful book for any royals fan, try not to skip straight to the Diana section.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 416 reviews