4. The Royal Flame: Elizabeth I and the Tudor Red (16th Century)

By the 16th century, the perception of red hair was dramatically reshaped by the most powerful woman in England. Queen Elizabeth I, inheriting her striking auburn locks from her father, Henry VIII, transformed red hair into a powerful political and cultural brand. At a time when red hair could still carry negative connotations, the "Virgin Queen" reclaimed it as a symbol of divine right, celestial power, and English pride.

She leaned into the hue so heavily that it sparked London’s very first "red craze." Courtiers, eager to mirror her authority, famously dyed their hair and even their beards to match her auburn locks. Elizabeth’s use of red extended beyond her hair; she often paired her flaming curls with a ghostly white complexion (the "Mask of Youth") and crimson-stained lips, creating a high-contrast aesthetic that suggested she was more goddess than mortal. By standardising this "Elizabethan Red," she ensured that her powerful presence was felt in every corner of the capital, setting a visual precedent for a city that would eventually adopt the colour as its own official uniform.
​
Fun Fact: As she aged, Elizabeth owned over 80 red wigs to maintain her iconic image, ensuring the "scarlet thread" of her reign never faded into grey. Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the first Gingerbread Man. She had her royal bakers create little edible figures that resembled her most important guests to impress them at court banquets.

​Tudor "Sanders" Dye: Tudor cooks were so obsessed with the colour red that they used "sanders" (ground red sandalwood) to dye their food bright crimson. Red wasn't just on their heads; it was on their dinner plates, symbolising wealth and vitality.

5. The Passionate Palettes of the Pre-Raphaelites (Mid-19th Century)

​Fast forward several centuries, and London, a city of sooty greys and muted tones, witnessed a radical artistic movement burst forth, ablaze with colour: the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. These painters, rebelling against the academic conventions of their time, sought to return to the rich, jewel-like colours and intense detail of early Renaissance art. And what colour did they embrace with fervent zeal? Red.

Fun facts: did you know Dante Gabriel Rossetti had a house and studio in Chelsea on Cheyne Walk? I took a couple on a private tour to visit an artist in his studio in the back garden of the former home. Rossetti drew a portrait of my ancestor Maria Pollen, an interior designer and author, whose name inspires my business Pollen & Reid. ​

SHOP
Try Horner's Antiques in Alfie's Antiques Market to pick up unique Christmas decorations (think 1950's Soviet ornaments) that are historic, beautiful and make your Christmas tree look like a drag queen on acid! 

Santa Maria Novella for beautiful soaps, lotions and creams. Did you know this Florentine brand is the oldest pharmacy in the world with soaps being made by Florentine monks in 1221. 

Les Senteurs in Belgravia for unique incredible perfumes.

Pick up a hat at Lock & Co in St James's Street, or Philip Treacy in Elizabeth Street. 

Borough Market have high quality stalls for food and drinks for Christmas. You must try some local Essex oysters at Richard Haward's and pick up some Darjeeling first flush at Tea2You.

Fortnum & Mason's in the  City is quieter than the Picadilly branch and great to pick up festive Christmas puddings, mince pies and bubbly. 

VISIT

Walk on Jermyn Street, Regent's Street and various streets in Picadilly after dark to see the Christmas lights. 

Pop into Southwark Cathedral for a service, or try St Paul's Cathedral for a Swedish Lucia service. 

Celebrate Charles Dickens Museum 100 year anniversary by visiting his former Georgian home in Bloomsbury filled with Victorian treasures. The volunteers are incredibly knowledgable and full of fun facts. Did you know Charles Dickens had a memorable style think Regency Dandy with flowing locks, had 10 children, and met a boy called Bob Fagin at the shoe factory he worked at as a 10 year old when his father was imprisoned for being in debt? 

Secret streets, forgotten figures and hidden histories.

Many tourists and Londoners are familiar with Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and Harrods - the latter being London's 2nd most popular tourist destination. But why should they, and indeed you travel to West London to the quiet and green borough of Chelsea. 

For me, Chelsea captures the heart of British wealth and history; as well as it's tensions and contradictions: the home of enterprising migrants, Victorian artists, lovesick royals, gardens inhabited by medics and crime authors that supplied cotton seeds to the colonies, and punks who ushered in a new era. 

Chelsea is distinct in it's relationship with the monarchy. It is one of the few royal borough's, and the spine of the borough - the Kings Road, was once a private road built for Charles II to get to and from his Palaces of Whitehall and Hampton Court. Or possibly to visit his lover Nell Gwyn, a former orange seller in Covent Garden and actress who lived in the area and has a building on Sloane Avenue named after her. Few people have noticed the fountain in Sloane Square is decorated with images of Charles II and Nell Gwyn rapturously in love and feeding each other grapes. Charles II had many lovers and sadly no legitimate children with his wife the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. In order to pass through the toll gates to Chelsea, you would have needed to be an associate or friend of the Royals, and to show a coin to pass through. Many aristocrats moved and lived in this area, particularly towards the late 19th century many developments with private garden squares to lure them in. These garden squares (accessible with a private key), hoped to prevent the ill health that plagued the poor in East London. There was no understanding of germ theory, instead people believed that bad smells caused illness (miasma). As a consequence, Chelsea is a very green borough with lots of garden squares in order for air to circulate. ​

Part II coming. 

The name Chanel instantly conjures images of unparalleled luxury, glamour, and impeccable taste. It's a brand synonymous with sophistication and minimalism, seamlessly blending classic beauty with modern ideas that have inspired generations across the globe. At its heart lies Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, celebrated as a pioneer who revolutionised women's fashion and shaped modern style like no other. Yet, beneath the polished façade of effortless chic lies a far more intricate, and at times controversial, "untold story" that transcends the runway. 

Coco's journey began in profound poverty, born in Saumur, France, in 1883. Orphaned at twelve, she honed her sewing skills in a convent, where the nuns' plain, practical clothing inadvertently influenced her nascent design philosophy of simplicity and refinement.  This rigid environment forged her tenacity and ignited an ambitious dream to rise above her humble beginnings. Before her meteoric rise, Gabrielle briefly sang in cabarets, earning the enduring nickname "Coco" from popular songs. Her pivotal entry into Parisian high society was facilitated by wealthy patrons and lovers, notably Arthur "Boy" Capel, who financed her first millinery shop, "Chanel Mode," in Paris in 1910. 

Coco championed a radical new philosophy: fashion should be functional, comfortable, and liberating. She shattered the restrictive pre-Chanel landscape of corsets and voluminous skirts, introducing looser silhouettes and pioneering the popularisation of jersey fabric in women's fashion – a material previously reserved for men's underwear. Her designs actively encouraged women to embrace confidence and freedom. Her most enduring contributions include the iconic Little Black Dress, introduced in 1926, which transformed black from mourning attire into a symbol of ubiquitous style, and the Chanel Suit, a two-piece ensemble inspired by menswear, perfect for the burgeoning post-war working woman. The revolutionary 2.55 handbag, launched in 1955, was the first luxury bag for women to feature a shoulder strap, literally freeing women's hands. She even democratised adornment by popularising costume jewellery, boldly mixing imitation pearls with precious pieces. ​

Chanel eventually sold her business to her the Wertheimer family and spent the last 20 years of her life living at The Ritz in Paris. Local folklore is that on her deathbed she was said to have exclaimed to a maid, 'this is how you die!'. Style and drama: classic Chanel! 

You probably have read Animal Farm or 1984 by the British writer George Orwell but did you know George Orwell was a fantastic father? 
​
George Orwell believed he was sterile and adopted a son with his wife Eileen O'Shaughnesy in 1944 calling him Richard Horatio Blair. Sadly Eileen died in 1945 and whilst George was always searching for a wife to help him look after little Richard, he was a surprisingly affectionate and hands-on father. 

George was a dab hand at changing nappies and bathing Richard with a cigarette in his mouth. George bought a cottage in a remote island Jura, in Scotland to write and relax with his son. 

Richard said, ‘My father was completely devoted to me. When Eileen died, he really cared for me, which was very rare at that time. He fed me, changed my clothes and nappies, he gave me baths: most fathers at that time never did that sort of thing’.

This was extremely unusual for the time but then Orwell, despite studying at institutions associated with the establishment such as Eton College, was incredibly non-conformist. 

A wonderful walking route after you visit Portabello would be to walk through Kensington Gardens and St James's Park towards the Strand and finally ending up in the Embankment. Whilst you pass Kensington Palace, a monument to Peter Pan, a former leper colony (Green Park), the beautiful Palladian buildings on Pall Mall, you might also pass elements of inequality and inequity that inspired Orwell's novels.