As senior dresser and personal assistant to Queen Elizabeth, Angela Kelly has an incredibly close bond with Her Majesty and in her new book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Angela takes us behind-the-scenes of some of the most publicly talked about moments, as well as some more personal anecdotes which showcase just how close the two are.
One of the personal anecdotes includes a prank Angela played on the Queen during the Monarch’s visit to Sydney in 2006, which she shared with Hello! ahead of the book’s release next week.
Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Sydney, Australia in 2006. (Image: Getty)
As Angela recalls, ahead of the trip the Queen had been telling her about the wildlife they’d encounter while they were in Australia, the kookaburra was one of the animals mentioned.
While Angela didn’t see any real kookaburras during her time in Sydney she did come across a stuffed-toy version which she bought while the Queen was attending an engagement.
“I had something in mind The Queen would enjoy,” Angela wrote.
“Back at the Governor’s House I went up to her room to find the perfect perch. I placed it on the balcony in a little cage. I waited for her to return and when she came in I said, ‘Your Majesty, there’s a funny-looking grey bird on your balcony.’
“The Queen looked outside and shouted ‘It’s a kookaburra!’ I went to open the cage doors and she said loudly, ‘No! Don’t do that! It will fly away,’ and was behind me in a flash,” Angela continues.
“Turning to Her Majesty while trying to keep a straight face, I solemnly told her it was dead. She looked horrified as I walked towards her with outstretched arms and as she took the bird from my hands, she realised I had been winding her up.
To which Angela says she yelled “April Fool!” with a mischievous grin, but reveals the Queen only had two words for her: “You’re sacked!”
“I was laughing uncontrollably as Her Majesty turned to His Royal Highness (Prince Philip) and said ‘Do you know what she has just done to me? Angela has had me!’ and I couldn’t stop giggling,” Angela muses.
The Queen’s dresser and personal assistant, Angela Kelly. (Image: Getty)
The Queen’s known for her humour and quick wit, with many stories revealing her love for a good laugh.
Earlier this year it was revealed the Queen even pranked a group of US tourists who didn’t recognise her while they were visiting Balmoral Estate and proved she has a very cheeky sense of humour when she had a hilariously awkward encounter with the former French president’s wife which is reportedly one of Prince Philip’s favourite anecdotes about his wife.
It wasn’t just funny moments Angela shared in her upcoming book, she also dispelled rumours about some notable moments including the meeting between The Queen and Michelle Obama in 2009 when the former First Lady supposedly ‘broke royal protocol’ when she hugged the monarch.
Writing about the meeting, Angela says there had been “an instant and mutual warmth” shared between the two and that it was a natural instinct for the two to be tactile with each other.
“When fondness is felt or the host of a State Visit goes to guide her Majesty up some steps, it truly is about human kindness and this is something the Queen will always welcome warmly,” Angela wrote.
The Queen is known for her humour and quick wit. (Image: Getty)
Angela also revealed she breaks in all of the Queen’s shoes to ensure they’re comfortable for her to wear during long engagements and even disclosed that it was the Queen’s idea to deliver the line “Good evening, Mr Bond,” during her appearance in a video as part of the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
And, while you may be very familiar with the historic royal family Honiton christening gown (and its replica) that has been used in royal christenings since the birth of Queen Victoria’s first child, what you may not know is that Angela had been in charge of recreating the replica, and her trick to making it look authentic? Dyeing it with Yorkshire tea!
Who would’ve thought?
