Queens | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/queens/RSS feed for QueensenFri, 07 Aug 2026 20:10:15 +0000A British Museum Is Searching for a Rare 1940s Housecoat From a Fashion Brand That Dressed the Queen—and, on Special Occasions, Ordinary Women Toohttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-british-museum-is-searching-for-a-rare-1940s-housecoat-from-a-fashion-brand-that-dressed-the-queen-and-ordinary-women-on-special-occasions-180989296/Patterned with a map of the British Isles, the housecoat was an early design by the pioneering brand Horrockses, which turned cotton cloth into whimsical women's wear after World War IIFri, 07 Aug 2026 20:10:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-british-museum-is-searching-for-a-rare-1940s-housecoat-from-a-fashion-brand-that-dressed-the-queen-and-ordinary-women-on-special-occasions-180989296/Sold for Just £5,588, This Amber Pendant Turned Out to Be a Rare Tudor-Era Portrait of Elizabeth I. Now, It's Going on Auction for £100,000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sold-for-just-5588-this-amber-pendant-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-tudor-era-portrait-of-elizabeth-i-now-its-going-on-auction-for-100000-180989048/A master craftsman carved the likeness around 1600, possibly as a commission from the English monarch herself. A parrot on the back of the heart-shaped object symbolizes Elizabeth's status as a "virgin queen"Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:19:18 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/sold-for-just-5588-this-amber-pendant-turned-out-to-be-a-rare-tudor-era-portrait-of-elizabeth-i-now-its-going-on-auction-for-100000-180989048/