By Lori Perkins
I think of Barbie as the quintessential American, so I was a little surprised to find a solicitation in my email to buy Barbie as Queen Elizabeth II for the anniversary of her 70th year as ruler. I even mentioned it to one of my friends, who exclaimed, “buy it!,” saying that it was so wrong it was right.
Queen Elizabeth II is 96 years old today, and is certainly the oldest person ever to be made into a Barbie doll, so that alone is reason to buy her. She is somewhat affordable at $75, but, alas, she was already sold out in 24 hours!
The Platinum Jubilee edition of Queen Elizabeth II features a white-haired Barbie wearing a crown, a white gown and a sash, as well as the pins that have made the monarch famous.
The solicitation email reads, “Our Queen Elizabeth II doll is sculpted in her likeness, with a gown inspired by styles the Queen has favored in recent royal portraits. She's dressed in an elegant ivory dress and blue ribbon and adorned with decorations of order. A stunning crown and matching accessories complete her regal ensemble.”
In addition, the pitch goers on to state, “Barbie celebrates the longest ruling monarch in British history, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, whose extraordinary reign has seen her lead with an immeasurable devotion to duty and a life of service. Reaching 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
"The challenge in designing for the Queen comes from designing based on someone who's real," says Designer Robert Best. "The goal is capturing authentic details that people will recognize.”
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