Of Queens and Bonnets

I’ve always been fascinated with queens. Women in history who’ve been in power at times when women didn’t have many rights. So every time there’s a bio pic about female royals, I have to watch it. The Young Victoria has been favourite of mine since it came out and I’ve seen it quit many times now. The movie chronicles the first years of Queen Victoria’s rule and her struggle to do right by all.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the costume design is one of the reasons I’ve seen it so many times. I think I’ll be adding Sandy Powell to my list of costume designers whose work I need to explore. The movie is worth watching even if you’re not interested in the costumes. The film is very well cast and Emily Blunt is brilliant as Victoria.
One thing that struct me that I rarely pay attention to in other costume dramas was the hats and jewellery. There is some serious bling ( the screen shots below don’t do the jewels justice) in this movie and at the end I found myself wondering if there’s an event I could possibly get away with wearing a bonnet!