Scented secrets of the Coronation (& fragrances fit for royalty)

May we admit to being rather obsessed with the idea of what the official anointing oil for the Coronation smells like?

Okay, well we know we’re among fragrant friends, so we’re not alone. and here we’ll be exploring the scents of the Coronation, both ancient and newly inspired…

A few years ago, a fascinating BBC documentary (sadly no longer available to view online) delved behind-the-scenes of the late Queen’s Coronation on June 2, 1953; and it held a scented secret for sharp-eyed fragrance fans… While discussing the ancient rituals of the act of anointing the monarch, our eyes were drawn to the oil itself – rather incongruously kept nestled in a battered old box and bottle of Guerlain‘s Mitsouko!

 

 

 

 

We’d definitely consider being baptised in Mitsouko, but it turned out it was just the bottle and box. Oh well. No matter, for the story of the oil’s recipe was rather deliciously revealed…

The oil was made from a secret mixture in sesame and olive oil, containing ambergris, civet, orange flowers, roses, jasmine, cinnamon, musk and benzoin– actually sounding rather Ambrée in its composition – and must surely have smelled glorious.

 

 

 

 

The anointing ritual is usually hidden from view – a private moment for the monarch to reflect on their duties and the significance of being touched by that oil – and so a canopy is held by four Knights of the Garter to shield our gaze. This time, though, while King Charles is anointed beneath the canopy; Queen Consort, Camilla, shall be anointed in full public view. Either way, quite a scent memory.

In fact, the phial containing the original oil had been destroyed in a bombing raid on the Deanery in May 1941. The firm of chemists who’d mixed the last known anointing oil had gone bust, so a new company, Savory and Moore Ltd, was asked by the Surgeon-Apothecary to mix a new supply, based on the ancient recipe, for the late Queen’s Coronation.

We’d quite like them to whip up a batch for us, too.

 

 

During the ritual, the highly scented oil is poured from Charles II’s Ampulla (the eagle-shaped vessel shown above) into a 12th-century spoon. Amidst the pomp and pageantry of it all, our minds keep returning to the mysteries of the anointing oil, and whom that bottle and raggedy box once belonged. Whomever they were, we congratulate them on their taste!

Meanwhile, our minds (and noses) turn to more recent royal evocations in fragrant form. Which of these five might you choose to wear for an occasion (or simply to feel extra special any day you fancy)…?

 

 

Penhaligon’s Highgrove

Composed in close collaboration with King Charles, this is a highly personal take on the scent of a beloved silver lime tree in his garden. Using headspace technology to capture the smell of that actual tree (rather than attempting to recreate it), the softly cocooning blossoms glide on a bright, citrus breeze with mimosa and cedar. Refreshing at any time, we feel.

£160 for 100ml eau de parfum penhaligons.com

 

 

 

Experimental Perfume Club Smell Like a King

A brilliant blending of heritage and modernity, think wooden-panelled rooms and freshly rolled cigars glinting with a verdant freshness that radiates herbaceous greenery and mellowed with a husky muskiness that exudes a new confidence. Easy to wear yet stylishly characterful, this could be a signature scent. Hurry, though – it’s a limited edition: so we say, stock up.

From £35 for 8ml eau de parfum experimentalperfumeclub.com

 

 

Clive Christian Town & Country (Crown Collection)

Fascinatingly, this was originally created in 1925 and worn by Winston Churchill; now recreated for a modern era, this timeless scent is beautifully composed, with a softness belying the effervescent opening. Velvety clary sage leaves cloak a magnificently smooth grey amber, seamlessly melded with a perfectly grounded sandalwood. Effortlessly engaging.

£400 for 50ml parfum clivechristian.com

 

 

 

Angela Flanders Platinum Rose

The very picture of perfumed elegance, this crisply pleasing rose rests on a dew-flecked, leafy base and was originally crafted for the occasion of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. When a breath of fresh air is required, along with an assuredness that never fails, this is one to bring inner strength and feels like floating on a tenderly blushed breeze.

£85 for 50ml eau de parfum angelaflanders-perfumer.com

 

 

 

 

Dolce & Gabbana Q

Lovers of modern regally-inspired scents should try this, resplendent with luscious cherry enrobed in creamy heliotrope. Add the fragrant fizz of frothy citrus, the delicate luminescence of jasmine petals and a glimmer of crystal musk amidst the assuredly dry cedarwood base as it warms, and you have a scent fit for any occasion you need to feel in charge of.

From £61 for 30ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

 

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

CPL Aromas ‘Citrus Fusion’ cocktail recipe

Those of you completing a ‘dry January’ may wish to look away now, but it’s that grey hinterland that always seems to follow Christmas and New Year’s celebrations (and well, we like to be frugal by clearing up the inevitable leftover booze stash).

CPL Aromas are a British fragrance creation company, the largest fragrance-only house in the world. You might not realise it, but look around your dressing table, bathroom and kitchen, and your cupboards are almost certain to be filled with products they’ve developed or invented.

We recently had the pleasure of spending a day getting a behind-the-scenes look at their cutting-edge Research & Development centre in Northamptonshire – an experience that kind of blew our minds as to the posibilities for the future of fragrance, so look out for our special feature in the forthcoming issue of our magazine, The Scented Letter!

In anticipation, we’re rather thrilled to be allowed to present CPL Aromas exclusive Citrus Fusion Cocktail recipe…

It’s rare that any fragrance house releases a formula – so hotly sought-after are these compositions – and most especially for a unique and closely-guarded ingredient such as the AromaFusion range, specially formulated to remain unreproducible by rivals.

CPL Aromas say: ‘When one of our perfumers blends a fragrance, they can call upon much more than natural and synthetic ingredients, they also have unique access to AromaFusion – an exclusive range of ‘captive’ ingredients that is only available to our clients. Their formulation remains a closely guarded secret. And their value is protected and enhanced.’

To celebrate the company’s re-branding programme, CPL Aromas commissioned a mixologist from Searcy’s at The Gherkin to create a unique cocktail inspired by their Citrus Fusion unique material. So why not enjoy shaking up a scent to sniff (and then drink!) in your own kitchen…?

Ingredients

Campari – 25ml

Green chartreuse – 1 teaspoon

Lime juice – 20 ml

Passion fruit syrup – 20 ml

Cranberry Juice – 25 ml

Lemonade – a splash

Glass – Martini

Garnish – Flower

Method
Shake the top five ingredients with ice; strain into a martini glass and top with a splash of good quality lemonade. Finish with a garnish of a fresh flower [CPL Aromas chose violas to complement their purple branding].

With all manner of fragrance-inspired cocktail bars popping up, small-batch distillers using traditional scent ingredients to infuse their gins and liqueurs and even restaurants with perfume-influenced menus – we think the trend for fragrance to be experienced in taste as well smell is set to rise and rise in 2018. And we’ll raise a glass to that…

Written by Suzy Nightingale

A succinct history of scent: would you wear this "Queen's Delight" Elizabethan perfume…?

Imagine the excitement of smelling spices for the very first time, and then realising you could waft fragrantly (and flamboyantly – these were hugely expensive and kept in locked chests) smelling of success and radiating your wealth… The Elizabethan era saw an influx of exotic goods arriving from all over the world – including luxurious, never before seen perfumery ingredients – the valiant explorers bringing a bewitching treasure trove of scented materials to Europe. Men like think Vasco de Gama (1469-1524), Magellan (1480-1521) and Columbus (1451-1506) brought vanilla, pepper, Peru balsam, cardamom, sandalwood, clove, cocoa… Many were used for flavouring, but also found their way intro fragrant creations.
elizabeth-i
A growing trade with the East resulted in the transportation of living plants, too: orange trees (producing not just fruit, but that most romantic and innocent of fragrant blossoms), jasmine and rose. With perfect timing, the distillers were getting ever-more-expert: essential oils could soon be distilled from frankincense, pine, cedarwood, cardamom, fennel, nutmeg, agarwood (‘oud’ as we know it today), sweet flag, anise and more.
garden
Mostly, though, it is supposed that perfumes were still used to mask awful odours – which made lingeringly heady scents like tuberose, jasmine and musk particularly popular. Queen Elizabeth I beckoned Venetian traders to Southampton to offer their scented wares: it became fashionable to wear musk and rose scented pomanders and sachets, in particular.
Here’s another charming snippet from an Elizabethan recipe – remember, most of these fragrances would be made at home, and such recipes were often found in household books along with food and medicine recipes. Could you follow the instructions now, do you think? And more importantly – would you wear it if you could?
elizabethan-perfume-collage
Perhaps our noses are more atuned to complex aromas these days, with modern innovations meaning we can combine the best of nature with purer extractions and headspace technology (digitally analysing the scent of pretty much anything and allowing scientists to recreate the smell synthetically), but isn’t it fascinating how we can time-travel with our noses?
Now, why not continue your fragrant journey by exploring another fragrant era in our section devoted to the history of perfumery…?
Written by Suzy Nightingale