The Week in Review
Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 3:45 PM 
Photo by Stefan Rousseau / Getty Images
We honestly don't know how our President and First Lady survived this whirlwind of a week. Six days, four countries, and for Mrs. O , ten (10!) thoughtfully, often symbolically, selected ensembles. Let's recap:
Tuesday (Washington D.C., London) #1 Ivory tulle tweed coat with grosgrain trim by Thakoon worn over a black Michael Kors dress and paired with an oversize rose jewel brooch #2 Chartreuse Jason Wu cocktail dress, paired with a black Michael Kors duster and studded Alaia belt
Wednesday (London) #3 J.Crew Constellation sweater in ivory with beading and sequins paired with Dazzling dots mint green pencil skirt #4 Ivory and black silk crepe dress by Isabel Toledo, paired with a black Azzedine Alaia cardigan, and black satin opera coat by Jason Wu
Thursday (London) #5 Junya Watanabe argyle, asymmetric cardigan, paired with a full-skirted teal dress by Jason Wu and Jimmy Choo "Glacier" pumps
Friday (Strasbourg, Baden Baden) #6 Floral silk jacquard dress with black mesh trim and coordinating, reverse print coat, both by Thakoon #7 Black knit and ruched dress worn with black bolero jacket, both by Azzedine Alaia
Saturday (Strasbourg, Prague) #8 Cropped, double-breasted black jacket with leather detailing at the seams by Azzedine Alaia, paired with black trousers; floral Etro top and white blouse worn underneath #9 Fitted Narciso Rodriguez black knit dress paired with Azzedine Alaia black bolero jacket and black kitten heels
Sunday (Prague) #10 Oversize white bow blouse by Moschino, worn with a black pencil skirt by Michael Kors, black cardigan and studded belt, both by Azzedine Alaia
The genuine multiplicity that exists in Mrs. O's wardrobe was on full display this week. We saw her style oscillate between demure and daring, restrained and whimsical, vintage-inspired and avant garde. Though already described as a style icon, which she undoubtedly is, we imagine Mrs. O's fashion sense will be known for many things, rather than one iconic image that perfectly encapsulates her style.
She is a multi-dimensional woman, with a multi-dimensional wardrobe to suit. There was much speculation with regard to what the week would bring style wise. Would Mrs. O embrace a French designer as Jackie Kennedy had in 1961 when she famously wore Givenchy? Mrs. O would, wearing a dress and coat by Azzedine Alaia while in Strasbourg, France (as well as a cardigan and belt by the designer throughout the week).
Would she continue to champion her favorite American designers? Indeed, as ensembles from Jason Wu, Thakoon and Isabel Toledo were all sartorial stand-outs. Would there be any "high-low" mixing? While not exactly "low", more reasonable options from J.Crew again entered the mix, and more than held their own with chic sparkle. Might Mrs. O play it safe? We need not say more than Junya Wantanabe (though we are still practicing the pronunciation). The image at the top of this post, in which Mrs. O wears a black satin opera coat by Jason Wu as she walks into Buckingham Palance, represents our favorite look of the week - radiating a romantic, effortless chic from start to finish. We would love to hear your favorites please.
Alaia, Jason Wu, Junya Watanabe, Michael Kors, Moschino, Thakoon in Outfits
Reader Comments (128)
Loved every outfit as each one showcased a different side of Mrs. O! She kept it unpredictable. You never knew if the next look was going to be exciting, playful, sexy, classical elegance, traditional, whimsical, modern or demure... What I loved most was how radiant and how happy Mrs. O looked this past week. A great smile and a warm disposition are always our best accessories.
Thank you for keeping us updated with this fabulous LADY! I loved absolutely everything! It was young,fresh, and showed how much of her own woman she is. I hope that she continues to dress with her own passion and continues to give young unknown designers their time to shine. de la Renta, karan, and wang have all made millions - now it is time for the new designers to get recognized! BRAVO Mrs.O!!
Love this site!!!
We are so lucky to have President Obama & First Lady Michelle representing our country now. A breath of fresh air they are!
As for the nitpickers - Mrs. O took the world by storm this past week with her charm, beauty, poise, intelligence, grace - and yes - style. Can you say the same - even with all of your self-appointed taste and style?
Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Brown and others have shown us that the world as we know it will not come to an end if the First Lady isn't "catwalk" ready 24/7. All of this business about Mrs. O needing a stylist is just rubbish. For me, it's a bonus that she just happens to have a brilliant sense of style - it's not a requirement. Honestly, some people aren't happy unless they're trying to put someone else down.
I have enjoyed this week so much, and am so grateful to Mrs. T and to everyone who commented here. All of you made this week very enjoyable. I especially loved those of you who expressed what I was feeling -- like a crack addict who couldn't attend to my own life as I waited breathlessly to see what Michelle would surprise us with next. What fun!
Although I truly enjoyed every one of Michelle's looks (except maybe the big white bow with the black belt today), my favorite was #7 Black knit and ruched Azzedine Alaia dress worn with black bolero sweater. What a gorgeous woman! Perfection! I also absolutely loved the argyle, asymmetric cardigan, paired with a full-skirted teal dress by Jason Wu and Jimmy Choo “Glacier” pumps. What fun for me and the kids! I thought her J-Crew outfit was a breath of fresh spring air. Loved the red with black dress she wore in France. I thought her choice of the white and black dress to meet the Queen was perfect for the dinner following and the photo of the first spouses. Did you see it? Someone understood in planning for that photo that in a photo, white will draw the eye like nothing else. She stands in the center behind Mrs. Brown and is absolutely the beautiful centerpiece of the photo. The eye is drawn straight to her, and stays there. You can see a small version of the photo here:
http://news(dot)yahoo(dot)com/nphotos/Michelle-Obama/ss/events/pl/050108michelleobama/im:/090403/481/vlm12604031756/#photoViewer=/090401/481/12befab146494baf8e0cf9c71b1d08d6
A larger version can be seen on this page:
http://journals(dot) democraticunderground(dot) com/?az=archives&j=4847&page=1
To Toi22, who wrote:
"i don’t think anyone, unless you are a black woman can know, how important this was for us black girls. for our first black flotus to go on the world stage, with her deep chocolate skin tone, her natural hair(beyonce & tyra banks take notes), her real butt(kim kardasian i am side eyeing you) and to keep her natural swagga. even typing this after thought makes me cry. for the world to embrace a black woman in full, the way they have is just amazing and emotinal for me."
Although I am white, I must have been African or African American in my last lifetime because I've been identifying with and feeling the black thing my whole life (go figure). I have cried so often during the campaign, over the election, the inauguration, etc. etc., etc. And you made me cry again. How wonderful to have a black woman accepted as gorgeous and a role model not only for her incredible heart, soul, intelligence and grace, but for her beauty and her style! We (if I may be so bold) have arrived at last.
I loved what Eugene Robinson said the other day:
"Not even three months have passed since President Obama's historic inauguration, and already it tends to slip the nation's collective mind that the first black president of the United States is, in fact, black. There may be hope for us after all."
What a triumphant week! Not only did Michelle capture the heart of the world, but her incredibly intelligent, handsome and gifted husband played peace-keeper between conflicting parties both at the G-20 meeting and at NATO, thus moving the groups toward our collective goals. He was incredibly personable and charming at the town hall, and so brave in his speech about eliminating nuclear weapons today in Prague. (I know this is supposed to be about Michelle fashions but I couldn't help but note what a central and respected role our young, popular president played on the world stage this week.) I'm so proud, I could burst.
May God protect our President, his lovely wife and his "perfect" daughters.
Thank you all.
Mrs. T,
Congrats on the new book - how exciting!
I have not been able to find a link to your TV interview from this morning. I saw the interview that you did last week and can't even find that one anymore... and now today I've looked for the new one on MSNBC and CNN (couldn't remember where everyone said they had seen it) - was 'what the third' one now? It would be great if there was a link on the right side of the page of Mrs-O that contained all of your interview links so that we could find them easily to watch. Now that you are becoming so famous we can say that we 'knew you when' *big smile*
I am very proud of you, I hope you are able to take some time to smell the roses and to enjoy this great moment in time - you deserve it.
I think my favorite dress has to be the Alaia knit dress worn in...oh gosh. Was that France or Germany? I'm losing track!
And I wish people would stop spamming with that idiotic Obama Gaffes site. It's ridiculous. Do you get paid for that or something? We get it. You hate Obama. Message received! You'll just have to put up with him like Democrats had to put up with Bush. In 2012 you'll have a chance to get someone new.
Now, when are you planning to post pictures of Bush walking hand in hand with a Saudi royal? Was THAT a gaffe?
What a week indeed and for you too Mrs T...Great job all around-
Our first lady was absolutely lovely and brilliant throughout...It's going to be tough going through the withdrawal...but I'll be getting some much needed sleep again-
The outfits that made me positively gasp were:
1) The Azzedine Alaia black knit worn to dinner in Baden-Baden, both with and without the bolero sweater.
2) The chartreuse Jason Wu cocktail dress, with black Michael Kors duster and black Alaia belt.
3) The Narciso Rodriguez camel and black outfit worn to the pre-inaugural concert. It's not from this week, but I had to mention it. It took my breath away.
Thank you, Mrs. T, for creating such a warm and welcoming site that brings out the best in nearly all its posters. When I first began coming to the website, before the election, I was mostly interested in the photos and designer information. But I find that I am now even more interested in the posting community and its reactions. The comments are unusually well-written here.
It's been important to me to have a reality check in seeing the responses of others. As a woman who is the age of Mrs. O's mother and who wears mostly black leather jackets, tights, and cowboy boots, my taste is completely different than Mrs. O's. But I live in a "downtown art world," while Mrs. O lives in a professional and political world. Though I would never wear the Isabel Toledo outfits (too matronly for me), they clearly work for Michelle. The website keeps me aware of the broad audience she must please. For example, the furore caused by the Junya Watanabe cardigan took me aback, as I myself thought deconstruction was old. The variety here is serious and well-intentioned.
So many posters have brought up interesting points this week. I could spend hours pondering and discussing Brenda's point re what seemed to have been a strategic decision of Carla Bruni and her staff to go for the innocent, jeune fille look when facing Michelle's womanliness.
I want to add briefly to the earlier discussion about her need for a stylist. I suspect Mrs. O will eventually rely more on outside help (a stylist or some other staff member). Not because her personal taste and sense of appropriateness aren't equal to the task. . . we know she has these in spades. . . but simply because she won't have TIME. Even the time to grow her fashion sense organically may soon not be available. It came as a shock to read in an interview just two or three days before the Inauguration that she had not yet had time to select what she would wear to the Inaugural Ball. Soon she will have even more things on her mind.
Nancy:
Rethuglican is one who continues to visit a site dedicated to a person they despise;
Posting links to right wing propaganda hate sites while draping her utter dislike of the first lady in the occasional, but transparently dishonest and phoney attempts at "contributing" to "fashion" commentary-
You fool no one!
These comments are so sweet (and greatly appreciated). What a fun, buzzing little community we have!
Leah D., I've added the interviews that are available online to our Press section (top right).
Willow: What a beautiful and heartwarming post!
You articulate our shared sentiments so well...
The two outfits I liked:
#1 Ivory tulle tweed coat with grosgrain trim by Thakoon worn over a black Michael Kors dress and paired with an oversize rose jewel brooch
and
#9 Fitted black knit dress paired with black bolero sweater and black kitten heels.
Mrs. T,
Thanks for the info - I've never noticed that 'press' link up there before, if it had been a snake it would have bit me!
Thank you, Mrs. T. Thanks for your great blog.
Sorry, it was C., not Mrs. T. who expressed appreciation for my thoughts. Thank you C.
It's confusing to have the author's name appear at the bottom of the comments.
It's so hard to pick since I loved what Michelle wore this week, but I guess I'll go with the Azzedine Alaia dress as my favorite outfit. Not only did I love the dress,I loved the way Michelle looked in it. That's closely followed by the Jason Wu cocktail dress and Michael Kors duster. I wish she would have worn it while in London or Paris so I could have gotten more pictures of it. I was bowled over when I saw her in the black knit dress getting off the plane in Prague.
Looking back over the week, I can't believe how many different styles Michelle has worn, from the JCREW outfit to the floral Thakoon dress, to the black Azzedine Alaia dress. She even worked in a pantsuit. On the whole, I would say Michelle looked great this week, and made quite a splash for her world debut. It's hard to believe she's only been first lady for 2 months. If she's hitting them out the ball park fashion wise in two months, I can only imagine what we'll be seeing in a year or two.
Thanks for a fantabulous site!! Can you believe, like Leah D, I have never noticed the 'press' link either. I can't believe I never saw it...great coverage there.
Oops..I meant to start my entry to Mrs. T above...thanks for the site!
It was a great week, to see our 1st lady mixing affordable pieces with high end designers styles and pull them off was amazing to watch.
If she keeps this up, so many would look forward not just to what she wears, but she's working on while wearing them.
My favorite were:
- Azzedine Alaia elegant yet sexy evening gown @ the Nato dinner with the cropped black bolero sweater.
- Chartreuse Jason Wu cocktail dress, paired with a black Michael Kors duster and studded Alaia belt
- Oversize white bow blouse by Moschino, worn with a black pencil skirt by Michael Kors, black cardigan and Azzedine Alaia studded belt
- Floral silk jacquard dress with black mesh trim and coordinating, reverse print coat, both by Thakoon
I just wanted to add....Willow...I appreciate your beautiful thoughts . One doesn't need to be black of a particular color or look to admire and respect our 1st lady, Michelle Obama.
Mrs. T. thank you for creating this amazing site, I love coming here as often as possible.
Fellow Posters,
I just spent some quality time contributing some thoughts about Mrs. O's style on the survey Monkey link that Mrs. T provided to us. This day's postings have been enlightening to read and I hope you will share them on Mrs. T's link.
Thanks for a great read today!
Here is an interesting tidbit excerpted from an article over at HuffingtonPost dot com regarding Michelle's visit in Prague today:
... They then moved to the nearby St. George's basilica, built in the same era, to see the sights and listen to a concert performed by visually impaired children who played "Darmstadter Concert" by Carl Stamitz and "Stabat Mater" by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
I think when we have time to digest all the news other than the fashion - there will be many amazing things to remember about our First Lady's first trip abroad.
I want to echo everyone else that Mrs. T is so awesome. This has been my favorite blog for months now! What a great idea it was to start it. And I think Mrs. T was ahead of the curve. The concept for it came long before the "Mrs.O as fashion icon" story line had been written and re-written by so many news outlets.
I also absolutely love all the smart, thoughtful and often very funny comments. I don't even mind the "Michelle needs a stylist!" or "Why doesn't her staff tell her xyz??" comments any more--if only because every such comment inspires several amusing responses.
As for this week's looks, nothing topped the Thakoon floral coat and dress for me. I just loved every single thing about it, from the color to the fit and silhouette, to the shimmer of the fabric and the ribbon on the coat. It is actually my favorite outfit that Mrs. O has worn EVER. She looked beyond amazing.
I also loved both of the amazing little black dresses, the black and white Thakoon tweed suit worn at the beginning of the trip, and the bright yellow Jason Wu dress
worn to land in London. And actually, every outfit Mrs. O wore had at least one item that I totally loved. Most of all, I love her bravery, her creativity, and her beautiful smile.
What a week!
tend to agree with cyndi above - also liked the white coat with black trim she wore while leaving the u.s., and the black opera coat, and the skirt she wore to the visit with the queen. but the yellow chartreuse json wu is absolutely tops on my list, for its bright, solid colour.
agree with JRG about how the black opera coat would best be worn, and accesorized.
thanks, mrs. t - great work, looking forward to the book : )
Layo G - believe me, it's a great feeling when mrs. o shows up in the colour/style you have a hunch she will wear next -not at all boring, and since of course none of us can ever 'perdict' with absolute accuracy, it just makes it more suspenseful and 'fun' - like a mind game or finding the pattern in a puzzle - doesn't mean i haven't enjoyed the puzzle just because i'm beginning to get a clue about the thinking behind the pattern.
the only conclusions i've been able to draw are that -
1. she likes to vary the look as much as possible, and doesn't go so much by what has worked for her before, ('sure shot'), as trying something entirely new - be it colour and fabric.
2. the repeats are not reprats because they got good reviews, but because they work for her, personally - there is a subtle difference there - for example, the alaia belt keeps showing up for 'first's and grand entraces because it is lucky for her.
3. she seems to enjoy playing with colour, followed by texture, more than playing with styles - she has a pretty strong sense of what styles work for her (sheaths followed by frocks).
4. this is the revealing one - she tends to move in 180 degree turns around the colour wheel - i.e. she wears something as different, or contrasting, as possible to her most recent outfit - so if you see her in black-and-white, you can be sure bold, bright colour (read jewel tone) is next - if you see her in gold/goldenrod, maybe silver is next, and something utterly casual and almost collegiate, not too long after
Thank you so much for your thorough work Mrs. T!!
I don't know if this is old or new news but here it is.
From Politico dot com
*** Add another to Michelle Obama’s growing stack of magazine spreads. In the May issue of Essence, first grandmother Marian Robinson gets into the act, too, joining her daughter for a joint interview and cover shoot for the mother’s day issue.
I loved everything she wore during this visit, even the Watanabe sweater...it said something about Mrs O that reminded me why I love her first and I love her fashion sense...
my favorites
1- the Thakoon fitting dress and the floral coat when she met Carla Bruni in France
2- The J Crew ensemble for the first meeting with the Browns in London.
3- The Jason Wu ensemble for the meeting with the queen and the G20 dinner after wards
3- The Jason Wu dress/Kors duster when she arrived in London.
and let me add one more thing...I hope she never...EVER wears De La Renta ...or becomes a safe, boring political spouse.As much as I liked the LBD and the black bolero..the choice was safe.....I love her risk taking.
It was a treat to discover this website just in time to revel in the "perfect storm" of Mrs. T's excellent job reporting Mrs. O's symphony of fashions during this trip. What a week! I am inspired and delighted by our first lady, and hope that if she ever decides to get a stylist that she keeps the unexpected touches that make her style approachable. My favorite part of any outfit is the range of emotions she expresses as she engages with people in her wholehearted and sensitive way, that she is not just a clothes horse, but the clothes are one part of her entire presentation. And as gbs mentioned way earlier, how on earth did she keep her hair and makeup so gorgeous throughout it all?
OK, favorite outfit. Very hard to choose, as I thought each of them was really well-suited to the situation, but I have to say that my favorite was the asymmetrical sweater by Junya Watanabe and the Jason Wu dress that she wore at the girls' school because it made her look approachable and sophisticated at the same time. I have to admit that my choice was influenced by the way the girls reacted to her talk and to her hugs. I am proud to be represented by these two elegant, articulate, principled Obamas and I wish them a safe journey on their way home. OK, I'm gushing, but you all understand, I hope. Also am definitely keeping an eye out for Mrs. T's book.
@ One big ass mistake
seriously, this is not a political forum, you are quite obviously someone who do not agree with Obama's views, this is fine, but there are other sites that allow you to express those view, this is not one of them
NEXT!
Hands down for me: #6, the floral jacquard jacket/ensemble by Thakoon. GORGEOUS.
I loved the Alaia dress for the inverted tulip silhouette and black on black details... the J Crew for looking exactly like Washington cherry blossoms... and practically everything else.
I hope she doesn't work with a stylist. It's wonderful to see how her mind works, and it would be boring if the experimentation were lost. I don't want her to be impeccable; I love how SHE is communicating with us.
Toi was absolutely right about the Watanabe cardigan -- she was shouting out to a room full of beautiful awkward schoolgirls.
Also loved the communication between Carla Bruni and MO. CB recognized that this was MO's moment -- and opted for soft grays and blacks. She picked up the neutrals in the tapestry at the Rohan Palace and MO picked up it's bold crimsons and fuschias. They worked together.
Mrs O's arrival in London gave an indication of what the week was going to be like. I love the image of both of them walking down from the plane. Mrs O was stunning.
Going into the palace in Jason Wu coat, Mrs O was dreamy and romantic all at the same time.
With the controversial cardigan, Mrs O was daring showing that she's not one to slavishly follow but someone who leads.
Arriving in Prague wearing that black dress, Mrs O was sexy reminding the president that he is one lucky guy
By the way, the sexy fitted black dress Michelle Obama wore when coming down the Airforce One in Prague was made by Narciso Rodriguez with an Alaïa cardigan.
So much to love about this week!
I have a very serious question that has been keeping me up a night. Tonight, especially.
Can someone who knows about these please tell me why the sweater that Mrs. O wore when seeing Her Majesty was so very wrong? I understood that this was an informal meeting and the queen wore a dress, so why was Mrs. O's choice of a dress with pearls and a little cardigan in such poor taste?
Second question, how can the sweater be so casual, but the opera coat was just way too formal? Is it in poor taste to wear an opera coat in the day time? Or did Jason Wu copy the style of an opera coat and indeed it for other uses?
Lastly, are business suits the only appropriate thing to wear if you are a first lady. I was looking at pics of Mrs. Bush, Mrs. Bush, Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Kennedy. Other than Mrs. Kennedy, most women wore nothing but business suits. Is that really the only appropriate thing to wear?
Mrs. O will be on the May cover of Essence magazine. First Lady Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, will feature with her in the May issue of Essence magazine.
Marian joined her daughter for a joint interview and cover shoot for the U.S. Mother's Day issue of the magazine.
The interview was conducted in Michelle's East Wing Office at about a month after the inauguration.
Sorry to reopen the debate about Oscar de la Renta but I thought that this lady called it right in November when she said that Oscar dressed a lot of previous first ladies but that she doesn't think Michelle is an 'Oscar kind of gal'
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2008/11/07/dcl.instyle.szish.michelle.obama.cnn?iref=videosearch
Fun week to follow all this fashion frenzy! In my view, she has made some hits, but also some misses...
My favorites are:
1) Back and yellow dress upon arrival
2) White coat and black dress when leaving the WH
3) J. Crew outfit for Brown breakfast
4) Black dress with short bolero
The misses...
1) Walking with Carla, short black jacket with black pants
2) Bow outfit
3) Black and white cocktail dress for G20 dinner.
C.--thanks for the definition of "rethuglian." I cannot imagine why a "rethuglian" would bother to read this site, much less attempt to get these posters to visit any link they'd put up. My initial point, C, was that this is a fashion blog, not a political one, thus the term "rethuglian" is out of place.
great article
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-04-06/enough-with-the-clothes-already/
Michelle's gonna be on the cover of Essence with her mom. Yay!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/20922.html
Spot on Kristin I!
I too hope she ignores all the noise about her and stays her unique, fun and exciting course...
Absolutely no stylists...
The first lady and Ms. Bruni did seem to coordinate their looks very well...The both seemed to compliment each other fashion wise and seemed to like each other too...
I love it when women work together instead of against each other...
Nancy, your little link to President Obama's so called "gaffes"...Why is that on this blog again...?
FRIDAY WINS! #6-Thakoon dress & #7 LBD in France
Also: Departure and Arrival , Fitted LBD in Prague & J. Crew ensemble!!! All were my favorites in no particular order. Friday wins because it was magical the whole day!
That might be a different "Nancy," C. Since there's no registration system, I try to remember that anyone could be posting as "Nancy," "Christina," "C.," or any other name.
@Michelle B: I thought that Mrs. O wore an "opera coat" (a term I had never really heard before, I have to confess) to Buckingham Palace because later they were attending an actual stage performance. But I guess if you're not going to an opera within an hour of actually putting on an "opera coat," then it's some kind of faux pas. I don't know. I can hardly keep track of all the "rules" I've learned here over the past week. No sleeveless dresses at dinner, pearls have to be worn in only odd numbered strands, blah de blah.
Christina, thank you! I am not the Nancy who posted a link to any "gaffe" site. Please note, C.
Mrs T, I have to agree with you... the Toledo black/white dress was by far my favorite. The utter elegance of that dress made it a clear stand out for me.
But what strikes me about the week's fashions overall is the sheer brilliance of her sense of style. She really pulls together the most elegant outfits and then mixes them up with fun, sparkly, avant-garde things (like the Watanabe argyle cardigan, the JCrew beaded cardigan and the Moschino bow blouse). Those are the things that really rocket her into the stratosphere of fashion... while it may not be something we can fit into our lives, it's fashion that works in Michelle's life. And the end result is just stunning, just fabulous.
Thank you, Mrs T, for doing such a great job this week!
I forgot to add the most important insight (for me, anyway) this week... the woman that Michelle is.
While it's fun to watch her fashion choices, what really came through most for me is how multi-faceted she is, and how everyone just responds to her. She expresses the many different sides of herself through her sartorial choices, but then her actions speak volumes more -- the way she was so warmly welcomed and reached out to everyone gives us a glimpse of what she might be like in person. Even the Queen responded by reaching out to her. I can only imagine the presence she must emit when you're in the room with her, but if this week is anything to gauge from, it's measurable.
Anyway, it's been a great week to watch, listen and learn. Thanks again for bringing it all to us.