Fashioning the Crown, Justine Picardie
Fashioning the Crown, Justine Picardie
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Fashioning the Crown
A Story of Power, Conflict, and Couture

Author: Justine Picardie

Narrator: Melissa Chambers

Unabridged: 10 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/26/2026

Synopsis

Fashioning the Crown tells the story of a tumultuous half-century of British history through the lens of royal fashion and image-making. Informed by Justine Picardie's entirely original research in the Royal Archives, as well her own interactions with Elizabeth II and her family, it will reveal how, from the outbreak of the First World War to 1960, the power of clothing played a crucial role in helping the Royal Family, and the nation, to navigate seismic changes and challenges.

Justine will take us behind the glamor and mystique of the Crown, introducing us afresh to three generations of royals, including the glamorous Queen Mary; the Chanel-wearing young flapper who would become the Queen Mother; and the little Princess Lillibet, setting fashion trends at the age of three. Justine will reveal the crucial importance of image-making in an era of abdications and assassinations, and amidst the rise of revolutions and fascism. She will also uncover the fascinating, little-known lives of the couturiers behind the clothes.

Figures like Hardy Amies, Edward Molyneux, and Norman Hartnell had secrets that they kept in the shadows—from their sexuality, to their work in espionage—even as they dressed some of the most recognizable figures in the world. Fashioning the Crown will present a secretive institution in a captivating new light.

About Justine Picardie

Justine Picardie is the author of several books, including her critically acclaimed memoir, If the Spirit Moves You: Life and Love After Death, and the internationally bestselling, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life. She is a contributing editor to the UK edition of Harper's Bazaar, having previously been its editor-in-chief. She was formerly an investigative journalist for the Sunday Times, a columnist for the Telegraph, editor of the Observer Magazine, and features director of Vogue.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Helen on December 22, 2025

4.5⭐️ I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book, and how interesting I found it. I had planned to read it a chapter at a time, in between reading other books, but I quickly became engrossed in it and didn’t want to put it down. The author has previously been Editor-in-Chief of ‘H......more

Goodreads review by Dodi on March 12, 2026

If you're planning to read Fashioning the Crown, I recommend the print version because it's packed with photographs. I was expecting more fashion and couture; Justine Picardie includes a lot of history along with royal style. Queen Elizabeth's mother, the Queen Mother (so called because they are bot......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on February 26, 2026

Another look at the British royal family and the first half of the 1900s, this time through the prism of fashion and image-making. Personally, I found the cover and title slightly misleading - Elizabeth II is a secondary focus here, with the book ending at her coronation. Picardie is looking at the......more

Goodreads review by Kidlitter on April 23, 2026

Deep dive into the particulars of women's fashion in the Royal family, exemplified by the work Norman Hartnell did for multiple members, especially the Elizabeths, mother and daughter. Picardie is NOT interested in later generations so no Kate or Megan gossip or even Diana but lots on Wallis. The an......more

Goodreads review by Jennie on April 14, 2026

This book was well written and had some interesting history that I didn't previously know and I liked that aspect of it. Otherwise, this was a strange book. It was kind of all over the place in terms of the chapter structure and who/what was being written about and the fashion aspect was really just......more

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