You know that age-old rule ‘what happens in the Palace, stays in the Palace’? It’s about to be broken. Angela Kelly, the Queen’s personal assistant for the last 25years, is releasing a memoir and it promises to reveal a ton of insider information we would never typically know about working for the royal family.
According to Town & Country magazine, the Queen has granted special permission to Angela enabling her to release the book, making it the first time a serving member of a royal household has been given such a privilege.
Titled The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, the book will detail Kelly’s working relationship with the Queen as her personal assistant and senior dresser for more than two decades. Over the course of their time together, the pair are said to have developed a special bond.
‘It gives a rare insight into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterised by humour, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty,’ Samantha Cohen, former assistant private secretary to the Queen said. ‘Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with the Queen for us all to share.’
According to previous quotes from Angela, she and the queen often discuss clothes, make-up and jewellery together although she claims not to let the Queen off easy with anything. ‘I don't know why the Queen seems fond of me - because I don't give her an easy time,’ she told The Telegraph in 2007. ‘I do think she values my opinion, but she is the one who is in control. She always makes the final decision.’
As the Queen’s first-ever personal assistant, getting the job in 2001, she has accompanied the Queen on foreign visits and travels around the UK. As the brains behind the Queen’s style, she is thought to make some of the Queen’s clothes herself – including the outfit she wore to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding.
Naturally, the book will feature never-before-seen photographs and ‘charming anecdotes’ about their lives together.
‘The work undertaken by Angela and her team is to ensure that anyone in the same room as the Queen will be awestruck, and the way they deliver this reaction is incredibly detailed and clever,’ Katya Shipster, editorial director of HarperNonFiction – the books publisher – told Town & Country. ‘The book, and its many gorgeous photographs, sheds light on all of this, as well as the history of Angela’s role, but more importantly and interestingly on the extraordinary working relationship between Her Majesty and one of her most trusted employees, giving us a personal glimpse of the other side of that famous image on every British coin.’
Available for pre-order now, the book is published on 29 October with an audiobook released on the same day.
Read More: Style tips according to the Queen
SEE: The Queen Of Style
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London-based footwear brand Anello and Davide is where the Queen purchases some of her favourite shoes. And it was recently revealed that Her Majesty has hired someone to break in her block heels... If that's not goals, then we don't know what is.
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The Queen's most cherished piece of jewellery? The brooch. Her Majesty is rarely seen without a bejewelled pin on the left of her jacket. She'll even go so far as to pesonalising her brooch depending on the country she is visiting.
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The Queen of England? More like the Queen of colour-blocking. Her Majesty has a talent for making anything look brilliant whether its head-to-toe fuchsia or this season's 'It' hue, yellow.
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Diamonds are the Queen's best friend, after all.
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Enjoy fashion. What inspires us the most about the Queen is the way in which she embraces fashion. She plays with the colour palette, experiments with hats and is never, ever short of Instagrammable accessorises. But the best part? She's always dressed for the day ahead. Whether she's travelling by horse-drawn carriage or, well, the tube...
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Believe it or not, the Queen was the original festival girl. Just take a moment to appreciate the flower-embellished hats she donned in the late seventies.
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We can't help but wonder if the Queen inspired Princess Diana's love of colourful gloves?
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We doubt the Queen ever has a bad hair day but if she does, she's got a failsafe plan. Whether she's out riding her horses or going on a state visit, Her Majesty is sure to don a fabulous headscarf. And of course, the accessory will always match her co-ords.
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Invest. The Queen rarely performs outfit repeats. So ensure you have a co-ord for every possible occasion. You never know who you might meet and quite frankly, it could be a little embarassing...
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The Queen has reportedly never worn jeans. Or at least, she's never been spotted in public donning a pair.
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Keep your corgis close. The Queen's greatest accessories are of course her beloved pets. You cannot even begin to channel the Queen's majestic aesthetic without the help of the most quintessentially royal emblem there is.
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Let loose on the sparkles. You needn't be a princess to don glitter. The Queen debuted one of our favourite looks to date back in 1964 when she attended a banquet at Claridge's in a gold dress and fur stole.
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The Queen has been carrying the miniature handbag before we even knew they were a trend.
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Queen Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten on 20 November, 1947. As the second world war had only just come to an end, Her Majesty had to purchase material for her wedding dress using ration coupons. The gown was designed by Norman Hartnell and was made from white satin.
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Rule number one when it comes to royal protocall? One can never be overdressed. So don layers of pearls, faux-furs and always choose the sparkliest tiara.
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Well, you couldn't possibly rule as the Queen of England without pearls. Her Majesty is rarely spotted without a full set.
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Rainbow hues. There isn't a colour on the spectrum that the Queen cannot pull off. Whether it's primary red or sunny yellow. We challenge you to find someone who wears it better. Good luck.
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Rule the fashion scene. The Queen is never afraid to don the brightest colour in the crowd or debut the sparkliest tiara. Channel Her Majesty this season with similar flair and enthusiasm.
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Seek sartorial inspiration from your mum. Her Majesty often co-ordinated with the late Queen Mother. The mother/daughter duo often sported similar hats, hairstyles and miniature handbags.
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The Queen has only ever been photographed in trousers once. Her Majesty was pictured in a suit by Ian Thomas during the 1970 Royal Canadian Tour.
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The Queen is as dedicated to fashion as she is to her royal duties. And if she's going to colour-block her outfit, she isn't one to do it half-heartedly. Her Majesty even goes so far as to co-ordinate her umbrellas to her outfits.
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Veer away from monochrome. The Queen is no Scandi-wannabe. Want proof? We challenge you to find an ounce of minimalism in her wardrobe. So channel the rainbow and you'll soon bring a smile to your colleague's faces.
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Oh, one does love to go outdoors. The Queen is renowned for her adoration of horses and always dresses for the occasion. Her go-to outfit? Her Majesty often teams a waistcoat and waterproof with a co-ordinating headscarf and wellies.
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XCVI. The Queen has been reigning the style stakes for a grand 96 years. Impressive.
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The Queen is undoubtedly able to pull of any hue but our favourite? It has to be yellow. The sunny shade is a failsafe and the Queen has been donning the look long before any of us declared it the colour of the season.
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Zip up. Each of the Queen's outfits is fitted with a zip in preparation for endless outfit changes.