Justine Picardie: Fashion, spies and Queen Elizabeth II's wardrobe, from timeless tweeds to a pair of Marigolds

About this episode

Justine Picardie discusses her experiences in fashion and journalism, including her encounters with Queen Elizabeth II and insights from her upcoming book.

Novelist, biographer, journalist and writer Justine Picardie joins the Country Life Podcast to talk about her life in fashion and journalism, her writing, and her close encounters with the Royal Family — including the day she found herself in a remote Scottish bothy, helping the late Queen Elizabeth II clean up after lunch. Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Apple Podcasts Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Spotify Subscribe to the Country Life podcast on Audible Justine's also talks about her latest book, Fashioning The Crown (Faber, £25), which is published on February 26, 2026 —  you can order a copy here . In the research and writing, she was afforded extraordinary access to the Royal Archives, including the Queen's wardrobe itself — and Justine shares with James some of the most extraordinary insights, including her timeless style, her practicality, and her savvy adoption of bright colours as colour television became widespread. Many of the outfits she wore 'would have looked as perfect today as they would have 100 years ago,' Justine says. It's a fascinating episode — we hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it. Episode…

People in this episode

Host: James Fisher

Guest: Justine Picardie

Topics covered

• fashion
• journalism
• Royal Family
• Queen Elizabeth II
• biography
• writing

Keywords

• fashion
• Queen Elizabeth II
• Justine Picardie
• Royal Archives
• biography
• journalism
• timeless style

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Country Life, Faber

Books & works: Fashioning The Crown

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