Elizabeth and her advisers organised expensive gift-giving of elaborate pieces of jewellery and exquisite articles of clothing, seeing to it that the gifts offered to her at the new year were, from year to year, increasingly extravagant, and increasingly matched to particular requirements for Elizabeth's court dress, communicated to the gift-giver well in advance.

BBC: A Point of View: Dazzling in an age of austerity

After posting articles about how consumer trends will change the way we eat and recommending seven great gift ideas for your sustainability obsessed foodie, I am now here to tell you that shopping will not change the world.

FORBES: Buy Smart, But Shopping Won't Change the World