Perfume is always a very personal choice; for many, it is what makes a person unforgettable, so much so that they prefer never to change it for life.
It is, therefore, an incredible thrill to discover that, since 2008, Queen Elizabeth II has been using the perfume created especially for her by Laura Bosetti Tonatto, a Turinese for generations, a professional ‘nose?, and an authentic Made In Italy outstanding feature. Laura has worked with the most important international cosmetics companies, prestigious museums (including the Vatican Museums), and luxurious hotels for thirty years. She owns the historic ‘Essenzialmente Laura‘ boutique in Via dei Coronari, Rome.
The etiquette for royal fragrances
The relationship between royal houses and fragrances is more complex than one might imagine and one that does not shy away from precise etiquette. On official occasions, for example, it is forbidden to wear any so as not to be distracting. There is, however, a specific one for the coronation, and each fragrance admitted to court is the fruit of years of study.
A secret formula
Of course, the personal one of Queen Elizabeth II is no exception. The Queen had Laura Bosetti Tonatto summoned to Buckingham Palace by her Director General in 2007. The queen had, in fact, appreciated an essence created for the exhibition ‘A painting, a perfume‘, held at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. In particular, the perfume inspired by Caravaggio’s Lute Player won the queen’s heart. It took two years of trial and error and travel to finally create the definitive fragrance that met the three requirements. The perfume had to reflect the Queen’s joie de vivre, contain the essence of English flowers and be created to be used and smelled exclusively by the Queen. Laura then studied a unique formula and encrypted it. The Queen chose it as a daily essence and home fragrance, and for soaps.
On September 8, 2022, as the English flags fluttered at half-mast, Laura Bosetti Tonatto, without consultation or a second thought, deleted the secret formula of the royal essence, thus choosing to keep her word to the Queen and ensure that the formula would remain exclusive forever.
In 2012, President Giorgio Napolitano appointed Tonatto (who has always been involved in voluntary work in prisons and social work) Knight of the Order of Merit for ‘her olfactory emotions and her ability to transfigure art and culture into fragrances’.
Congratulations to those who bring fragrance culture to the world!
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