London is an historic capital as well as being a Royal seat. It’s not always had this accolade. However in her late Majesty’s reign she made it her principal residence. She preferred to stay in Buckingham Palace over any of her other residences.
In fact the city drew much more of her attention than many people knew. Her two key interests were the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. She confided these were her favourite “pre-reign” landmarks by far. She said she also liked a number of more recent additions.
Her observation of construction often took in an obsessive level of detail. She is said to have liked to look over planning documents to imagine the final image. Her impression of the city mattered to her, but also the projection of the UK that it gave to others.
Her belief in architectural values didn’t dim. She liked to read and hear about design aspects. It made sense to her to put more into things we see over a longer period of time than things we let go of too quickly, she once said.
Her like for home comforts in London only grew stronger. She frequently drank tea, ate biscuits, and enjoyed cakes in residence because it made her feel positive about life. The tastes were plain enough to have again over the years.
It’s renowned to do this in London because of its shops – including the newer ones. She particularly appreciated the supplies she got by herself. Her enjoyment of shopping is alleged to have led to many rounds on her own.
