Why is london (and england for that matter) crazy for royals?

Social institutions and customs always have their place within society. One of the first things you realise when you arrive here is that the Royal family is the gr eat British pastime. While most monarchies of the world have faded away from the limelight, the House of Windsor is still very much a topic of polite (and we do mean polite) conversation in Eng land. Throughout the centuries, the actual powers of the monarchy have dwindled, yet admiration for them has not waned. The Queen and the royal family symbolise one thing that the British people hold dear to their hearts: tradition—from Sunday roasts to mince pies, from the fact that there is no codified constitution but mere constitutional traditions that underlie the subject of the public law of England. We commoners stroll through the majestic Kensington Gardens—right by their royal residence—part in fascination of their highnesses, loving how proper they are (but secretly loving it more when they are not!).

Why is afternoon tea such an english tradition?

Tea for two or two for tea? From green to black to white to yellow to every colour in the rainbow, a traditional afternoon tea is a cornerstone of British society and the issue of tea decorum is a subject of great debate. “Tea is one of the mainstays of civilisation in this country,” wrote George Orwell, “and causes violent disputes over how it should be made.” Milk? A spoonful of sugar? Two? Over the years, the culture of London has grown more open-minded as to how people take their tea and institutions have developed their own quirky interpretations of this traditional meal. At the Mandarin Oriental’s Rosebery Lounge, for instance, trays of delightful scones, savouries, and sweets are hung like in a birdcage on a sculpted metal branch inspired, no doubt, by the neighbouring Hyde Park and London’s numerous gardens.

Why is london so full of parks, gardens, and little green nooks?

This can be traced back to the 1900s and the desire to escape from the industrial revolution and have the city become green. Frances Hodgson Burnett once said, “If you look the right way, you can see the whole world is a garden,” and in London, that’s an absolute fact. Currently, almost half of the city is home to “green space.” From the incredibly vast Hyde Park in the centre of town, to the little nooks and squares hidden on every corner, these pockets of green allow for brief moments of respite. A delightful little fact is that every residential block is required to have a green space, meaning you can head somewhere like Primrose Hill or Camden and find a charming little garden to walk, play, or eat in. These parks are London’s most wonderful open secret.

Why does london have so many museums and galleries?

The better question is, why don’t more cities have this many museums and galleries? It is not only the large museums, such as the V&A or Tate Modern and Britain, that attract attention, although with their rotating exhibitions and free entry it is worth taking a day or three to marvel at their vast collections. London is also home to a number of smaller galleries that you can wander in and out of so l ong as you don’t touch the art. It is possible to head to Harrods to shop and come away looking at wonderful crystal or Bob Dylan’s sketches if you wander along the side streets.

Why are London's stations so large?

That’s not quite true—London has a number of smaller underground stations, places that are merely a matter of convenience for the average traveller rather than destinations of their own. But stations such as King’s Cross and Paddington have become hubs of activity because people tend to congregate in places like these that they can easily reach and that are easily recognisable, enough that they’ve been immortalised in the likes of Harry Potter or The Dark Knight Rises. Of special note is Granary Square, the cornerstone of a government initiative to gentrify the area around King’s Cross and make it a prime gathering point for people from all walks of life. It is now home to bustling street markets, seasonal plays, and Central St. Martin’s famous metal ping-pong tables, so pick up a racquet and play away.

Why are londoners so proper?

Much of this English formality stems from Victorian times, where the rhetoric surrounding politics and culture had to do with being “civilised.” After all, during this period England was a conquering force and London was its capital, which meant the local citizenry had to serve as an example to the rest of the world. Londoners in particular were at the heig ht of culture and good grooming in terms of art, fashion, and personal affairs. It was the easiest way for the upper echelons to separate themselves from the lower classes. In fact, much of the desire to distinguish oneself still manifests today, albeit in terms of individuality rather than classism. We still see strict dress codes in events such as the Royal Ascot, where the attire is “traditional” and “woven into the fabric of our history,” dictated by no less than Beau Brummell himself at the turn of the 1 9th century. Or “fancy dress,” which we first mistook to mean something especially nice, but to our embarrassment upon arrival at a fancy dress event, discovered is what we non-locals would call a costume party. Even universities and school societies regularly hold dress up events such as End-of-Year-Balls or Boat Balls, where people dress-up in their finest and head down the River Thames for a jolly good time.

All of this and more is what makes London so special. London has retained so much of its history without compromising its vision for the future. When the city of London burnt down in 1666, and the architect Sir Christopher Wren had drafted a plan for its rebuilding approved by the King himself, the Mayor of London at the time staunchly refused and instead demanded the city be rebuilt the way it had been before. What resulted was a city that was part old and part new giving it the charm of tradition and the vibrance of discovery. We are all students in this wonderful city—taking in a history so rich and colourful while still learning something new everyday.

Photos: Rio-Romaine | Art direction and styling: Lesley Mobo and Mia Borromeo | Makeup: Jinny Kim | Hair: Rom Sartipi

This story was originally published in Philippine Tatler Traveller (Volume 13), available in all newsstands and book stores, and downloadable on Magzter, Zinio, and PressReader.