RIP the Queen

Dallas mourns Queen Elizabeth II, one of its longtime idols, who has died at 96

Long live the Queen.

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UPDATE 9-15-2022: Dallasites can pay their respects to the late Queen at Dallas City Hall on Friday, September 16 from 11 am-3 pm. The British Consulate will open a book of condolences for the public to sign in the lobby. Metered parking will be available in front and behind the building, and guests are asked to enter through the main entrance of City Hall, from the plaza.

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Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch, died September 8 after reigning for 70 years; she was 96.

Her death was announced via a statement from Buckingham Palace that said, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”

According to the BBC, doctors placed her under medical supervision after concerns grew about her condition. Family then gathered at Balmoral (her summer residence), including her heirs Prince Charles and Prince William, along with Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; and the queen's children Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Edward's wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

At her death, her eldest son Charles, 73, immediately became His Majesty the King Charles III. He said in a statement: "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

Her death reverberates not only around the world but also in Dallas, which has a long historical accord with all things British, dating back to the U.K.'s longtime infatuation with the TV show Dallas, which attracted many Brits to Dallas and vice versa. The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, visited Dallas in 1991.

Dallas seemed especially beholden to the Queen in the past year, whether it was celebrating her via high-society events or parties marking her landmark reign.

When the Crystal Charity Ball came back to life after the pandemic in 2021, it chose a theme "Peace, Love, London" to revive Dallas' grandest gala back from its darkest year. Chairwoman Leslie Diers' event took attendees across the pond with all the best British things: Union Jack flags, costumed Queen's Guards, and a vibrant portrait of Queen Elizabeth, as well as a piped-in trumpet salute and orchestral rendition of "God Save the Queen" that made guests feel as though they were arriving at the palace.

This year's Mad Hatter's Tea Party took place April 20, one day before Queen Elizabeth's 96th birthday, making the annual event it seem like a royal party.

That same week, on April 28, British Emporium, DFW's favorite British shop in Grapevine, celebrated their own 30-year anniversary as well as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's long and glorious 70-year reign with a regal afternoon of cars and corgis. The pet of choice since the queen was a child, corgis held a special place in the celebration, with corgi owners encouraged to bring their dogs in costume — whether it be British-themed, royal family-themed, or otherwise.

And numerous local venues celebrated the Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, throwing special parties to mark the Queen's "happy and glorious" 70-year reign — a tenure achieved by no other British monarch, from brunch at the Londoner Pub to Royal Tea at The French Room to a special trifle served at Fish & Fizz, owned by native Brits Nick and Kelly Barclay.

In 2020, the Dallas Museum of Art League chose a royal theme for its annual Art in Bloom fundraiser, one of the top galas of the year. Called "A Royal Affair," it featured guest speaker Shane Connolly, who did the floral design for Prince Charles' wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall (aka Camilla), and served as artistic director for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding-watched-round-the-world.

A Dallas women's shelter was also the beneficiary of royal kindness in 2021 when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex provided Genesis Women's Shelter & Support, a domestic violence shelter and support agency, with a new roof following damages sustained from Winter Storm Uri. News reached Prince Harry and Meghan nee Markle, who lent a financial hand through their nonprofit Archewell Foundation. Earlier this year, Prince Harry was spotted at a rodeo in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

On the afternoon of the Queen's death — while mourners at Buckingham Palace gates sang "God Save the Queen" under a shimmering double rainbow — North Texans shared their own tributes.

At the British Emporium, a book of condolences for customers to sign went on display Thursday. It will remain there for several days until it is sent to Buckingham Palace, a spokesman says.

"As to other plans, I’m sure we will do something; we just don’t know yet," he says. "Today we just want to be a place where people can come and gather with others and mourn together."

Fort Worth artist Nancy Lamb posted on Facebook a photo of her 2012 painting of Queen Elizabeth called Royal Crown Neat. It will be going on display at Love Texas Art gallery in downtown Fort Worth this week as tribute to the Queen, and can be viewed on Fall Gallery Night, Saturday, September 10.

Lamb shared the little-known backstory with CultureMap:

It started with Malcolm Warner, who was the interim director for the Kimbell before Eric Lee came. He had told our friends that he wanted a painting done of himself and he wanted me to do it. So I thought that was may be a good idea, and since he was English, I added the queen and Prince Philip in it just for fun. But I had always wanted to paint her crown, too, which was amazing. It took me a month or two to paint that crown. In the end, it became more about the Queen than Malcolm Warner for sure. I have adored her forever, and always love those crowns. I was told it had been shown to her by a friend of his, so I know she actually got to see it!

And Dallas-based chef Darren McGrady, who served as Royal Chef to Queen Elizabeth and later Princess Diana, tweeted a condolence and then a zinger.

"Rest In Peace Your Majesty. Thank you for your service. And thank you for letting me cook for you for eleven years. Memories I will hold dear forever," he tweeted.

Then he followed with, "I know, I know, It's wrong to say or even think this, but I can't get it off my mind. Had things gone to plan, Princess Diana would have been Queen Diana today."

The British Royal family has now entered a period of mourning, BBC says, and in coming days, much of national life will be put on hold. A state funeral is expected in the next two weeks.

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Mosaic of millinery

Mad Hatter's 2026 brings beautiful tableau of chapeaux to Dallas Arboretum

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It is tradition that each chair of the Dallas Mad Hatter's Luncheon should choose a new theme for each new year - to start with a blank canvas, so to speak. But if a future chair were to repeat the 2026 theme "The Art of the Garden," it's hard to fathom anyone would complain.

This year's most-anticipated spring luncheon wove the setting itself - the Dallas Arborteum and Botanical Garden - into an event mosaic of marvelous millinery, modeling of fine fashion, and mingling with friends over food and drink.

The artsy theme was chosen by chairs Reagan Pace, Sheridan Reeder, and honorary chair Anne Stodghill as a way to honor the Dallas arts community, including the city's museums, artists, the Dallas Art Fair, and the burgeoning gallery scene. It also happened to coincide - "as if we had commissioned it ourselves," they write in the program - with sculpture artist Hunt Slonem's large-scale exhibition, "Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies," which had just opened on the grounds of the Arboretum days before the April 25 luncheon.

Like any masterpiece, Mad Hatter's 2026 also took some risks, rearranged some focal points, and elicited emotion from those in attendance - from awe to "aw dang, it's warm out here."

Now in its 38th year, Mad Hatter's remains the beloved fundraising event sponsored by the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. It's also one of the most coveted tickets in town.

Mad Hatter's 2026 This group went all in on a Monet "Water Lilies" theme. Photo by Ashley Gongora

A few hundred VIPs mingled on the Ginsburg Plaza, clad in their finest floral frocks and with bubbly in hand, for a first look at each other's hats and the first chance to bid on silent auction items. Guests went all out in their execution of the "art" theme - from fascinators featuring Monet's "Water Lilies" to big hats with paint brushes and palettes.

It was also the first time folks got to view the new set-up for the event's fashion show. Instead of the traditional catwalk inside Rosine Hall, the runway would be the al fresco pathway through the garden between Rosine and A Tasteful Place (a risk, considering it had been a cloudy, windy morning). Pretty paper parasols had been placed on each seat, which would prove useful not only as sun protection, but as seat place holders.

At 11 am, clouds parted, the sun came out, and the crowd of about 500 took their seats (and opened their parasols) for the fashion show featuring the designs of acclaimed Dallas designer Esé Azenabor. The unmistakable intro to Abba's "Dancing Queen" came over the speakers, and to the audience's surprise and delight, a group of little girls - not grown-up fashion models - appeared on the stage. Walking two by two on the runway, they modeled Azenabor's darling new children's collection.

Then, legendary fashion show producer Jan Strimple began sending models out to showcase more than 50 stunning looks by Azenabor, including breathtaking ballgowns and wedding gowns with intricate ornamentation and draping. The audience was so close to the runway that the rhythmic "swishing" of silk and "clinking" of beading could be heard as the models walked by. "I felt like I was Anna Wintour at the front row of Fashion Week," one attendee could be overheard saying. The program provided descriptions and prices for all the designs - from slightly less than $1,000 to $28,000 - adding to the fairy tale of it all.

Mad Hatter's 2026 One of the stunning couture gowns in the Ese Azenabor fashion show. Photo by Ashley Gongora

Instead of the luncheon following the fashion show this year, an outdoor reception took place around the plaza. Here, the hat judges got up-close looks at the most impressive creations of the day, and guests posed for each other's photos and videos. DJ Lucy Wrubel - wearing a party-ready hat topped with a champage bottle - kept the beats lively.

With temperatures pushing toward 85 degrees, some patrons headed inside to the air-conditioned relief of Rosine Hall and A Tasteful Place, and began enjoying the cold water set at their place for lunch.

The big moment came when hat awards were announced in seven art-themed categories. Winners and judges were:

The Inaugural Carole Ann Brown Best in Show: Prashe Shah (judged by honorary chair Anne Stodghill)
Italian Masters: Debbie Murray ("classical creations," judged by Capera Ryan)
Impressionists: D&M Leasing group ("best group category," judged by Nicole Myers)
Surrealism: Elizabeth Smith ("over the top creations," judged by Sharon Lee Clarke)
Rococo: Sarah Ring ("best use of live botanicals," judged by Eliot Whitall)
Cubism: Allison Brodnax’s group ("monochromatic geometry," judged by Hannah Fagadau)
Pop Art: Erin Jett ("brightly colored tribute to pop culture," judged by John Sughrue)

Mad Hatter's 2026 "Surrealism" category winner Elizabeth Smith, whose hat twirled around like a carousel. Photo by Ashley Gongora

At tables adorned with gorgeous spring floral centerpieces by Gro Designs and The T Shop, guests dined on a spring salad of mixed greens, feta, candied pecans, pickled onions, and champagne vinaigrette; a plate of finger sandwiches (chicken salad and pimento cheese), Greek pasta salad, and mini mandarin orange souffle; and a decadent individual carrot cake for dessert. Wine stewards kept glasses filled.

Attendees adjusted their hats for some final photos at the valet line, and picked up their swag bags filled with goodies from Eataly.

Money raised through Mad Hatter's assists with the development, growth and maintenance of A Woman’s Garden, a major garden at the Arboretum.

Scroll through the photos, above, to see who was there and glimpse all the highlights of the hats, fashion show, and more.

Photo by Ashley Gongora

The winning group of the "Impressionists" category in the hat contest.

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