Enter Angela Kelly ‒ the queen's most loyal aide for the past three decades. She's also known as her hairdresser, dresser and “best friend”, as claimed by various media.
Mary Angela Kelly, CVO (born 4 November 1957) is a British fashion designer, dressmaker, and milliner, who served as Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to Queen Elizabeth II from 1993 until the monarch's death in 2022.
And as to putting one's clothes on, contrary to popular belief the Queen actually dressed alone. The monarch also did her own make-up for most events, with the exception of her annual Christmas speech, for which a make-up artist was employed.
Sometimes, the Queen of Britain, Her Royal Majesty Elizabeth II, needs to change clothes up to five times a day – in the case of big celebrations, for example. And not simply the dress she's wearing but the shoes, gloves, jewelry, medals and other accessories and, most important, her hats.
The only time the Queen was photographed in pants was during the Royal Tour of Canada in 1970, when a young tailor crafted her a matte-silk trouser suit in an effort to update her look. Apparently it never stuck, and the moment has become the only time the royal wore trousers in public.
The Queen has to be on top form to be in charge of the Royal Family every day, and apparently, the monarch has a very strict morning routine, which involves tuning into her favourite radio station, enjoying a cup of tea and a long soak in the bath before getting dressed.
Queen Elizabeth never wears the same outfit twice at important events. Therefore, the sovereign prefers to either change her outfits and if she gets bored of them, she sends them to her dressers, who are then allowed to either wear them themselves or sell them.
Although it's unlikely the Queen binge watches Netflix while ordering Uber Eats to Buckingham Palace, it turns out Her Majesty does like to get her hands dirty at home - and even does her own washing up. For more of the news you care about, straight to your inbox, sign up for one of our daily newsletters here.
Here, 20 times royals have worn denim, from Prince Philip and Princess Alexandra in the 1950s to Meghan and Kate today. The Queen isn't one to wear denim.
How do royals choose their clothes? Two words: royal stylists. Obviously, royals lead very busy lives, so they don't really have much time to go shopping, which is where the stylist comes in. That said, Meghan apparently dresses herself, though she'll likely have an assistant who can call clothes in for her.
As for what the queen kept in her bag, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith says the items weren't all that different from what normal women carry with them: a mirror, lipstick, mint lozenges and reading glasses. As for the rest of the royal family, they have their own dress code rules they have to follow.
"She would feel lost without it," Phil says. "It's her most valued possession and a valuable tool. The Queen would never go anywhere without her handbag. The only time she might not have it by her side is when she is in a completely relaxed environment, like up at Balmoral."
The late Queen made her own money, paid as part of the Sovereign Grant, and totals millions of dollars per year. Because of this, she was free to buy her own clothes, but no doubt has a self-set clothing allowance as well.
It comes as she was forced out of her property on the Windsor estate following the death of her former boss. Angela Kelly, who was Queen Elizabeth's personal dresser and designer of many of her iconic outfits, was evicted from the property and 'cut-off' by King Charles.
Angela Kelly, Queen Elizabeth II's personal dresser, has been made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order as the King bestowed honours on his late mother's loyal staff.
The Queen has a bath every morning, drawn by her maid while she sips a cup of tea. It's believed that the royals prefer to avoid taking showers, due to their belief that they're for members of the working class.
While other royals have also worn open-toe shoes on occasion, closed-toe shoes are thought to be more proper for royal engagements. Etiquette expert William Hanson previously told Harpers Bazaar: "Open-toed shoes are considered informal footwear and inappropriate for formal occasions."
To keep her clothes from being blown in the wind and showing something embarrassing, weights were sewn into the hem of the queen's garments.
The Queen's cleaning staff at all of her royal homes have a mammoth job, but it turns out that keeping the residences spotless is actually more challenging than you might expect thanks to one surprising rule – they can't use vacuum cleaners.
A good way to remember is that the queen always begins on her own color, unlike the king, who begins on the opposite-colored square. This also means that the board can easily be divided into two sides, the queenside and the kingside.
Queen Elizabeth II's handbags served as both practical fashion statements and a means of communicating with her servants in secret about when she wanted conversations to finish, according to a number of Royal specialists. The Queen always carried a handbag on her arm to match her extravagant attire or the occasion.
Queen Elizabeth II, who died Sept. 8 at 96, was in the public eye her entire life and wanted to make sure her subjects saw her — literally. That's partly why she long wore festive, bright colors for her public appearances, according to royal expert Daisy McAndrew.
They stay safeguarded at the Tower of London in safekeeping for the nation, and when one monarch dies, the crown jewels are immediately passed to their heir.” So the Queen's former crown, sceptre and orb now belong to her son, King Charles III.
Apparently, she heads to bed at 10.30pm each evening in order to get a good night's sleep. The bling is stunning, obviously. Regular exercise is also said to help with sleep and Kate leads an active lifestyle, often talking about how she loves to get outdoors – it's thought that she runs or walks every day.
It wasn't just Queen Elizabeth I but also her successor, James VI (later James I), who reportedly never bathed. And according to History.com and History Extra, France's Louis XIV is said to... History Extra noted that Queen Elizabeth I "bathed once a month, 'whether she needed it or not'".