This Week in the World: Week 37

Hjem is my favorite local neighborhood coffee shop (and where I go for my flat white a few times every week!) The dress I’m wearing is HERE.

Hello from a very somber London. Queen Elizabeth II passed on Thursday and even though we knew this day would eventually come, it’s still shocked the nation and greater world. Growing up in the US, I was always aware of the Royal Family, but I categorized them the same way I did any other cultural “celebrity. It’s only since living in the UK that I’ve really grown to understand (and properly appreciate) the Royals— more importantly, the Queen. First, it’s not lost on me that British colonialism has a very dark history. Though modern times have steered away from forced control and more towards public service, this institution is still dripping with imperfections and shortcomings. Nevertheless, I’ve witnessed the Queen (and the greater Royal Family) serve as steady, non-political figures that the public (most people, anyway) can unite over. The more I’ve listened and learned about them, the greater the respect I’ve gained for them. And while these important conversations about the problematic implications of colonialism (and it’s aftermath) should continue to take place, I think we can still mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth and her tremendous life + leadership. I have a lot to share about it this week (along with other subjects) and am hoping to go pay respects to her once she’s moved to Westminster before I head to Italy later this week.

If you’re new here, ‘This Week in the World’ is a recap of content ranging from around the globe from the last week. My hope is that no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to feel more connected to it: through news, travel, food & wine… really, anything that appeals to the culturally curious. Let’s dive into the content I sourced for week 37.

AROUND THE WORLD

TRAVEL NEWS + INSPIRATION

WEEKLY FAVORITES

  • On the subject of new things, I’m obviously a human being and still buy new things too! I try to be strategic and focus on high quality items that I’ll have for a long time. On my recent trip home to the US I placed a few orders to bring home to London with me- here’s what I got:

    • We wanted bedding that made us feel like we were at a hotel, so I went with THIS DUVET and THESE SHEETS (which I can confirm, feel like you’re at a 5-star hotel!)

    • This turtleneck feels SO luxe and will be a great layering piece for autumn and winter (reminds me of Diane Keaton!)

    • These timeless ballet flats can be worn year round are great quality.

    • I have one nap dress that I wore an embarassing number of times this summer (it’s the perfect thing to throw on when you want to feel like you’re in pajamas, but also feel like you’re dressed for the day). I decided to order a couple more since they get so much wear: I did the all black one and THIS GREEN GINGHAM one

UPCOMING TRAVELS

The rest of the year is going to be very busy for travel, so I’m listing out everywhere I’m going (in case it helps to follow along for any places you may also be traveling in the near future!)

SEPTEMBER: Lake Como, Venice, Ischia, Capri + Procida

OCTOBER: Lisbon (and sharing my time at home in London)

NOVEMBER: Singapore + New Zealand (all over the north and south island- we’ll be there for a month!)

DECEMBER: Singapore, sharing my time at home in London (and heading back to the US for Christmas!)

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That’s all for today. Happy reading and thanks for being here!

xx

Whitney