Royal Family News
Queen Elizabeth II’s Dressmaker and Long-time Aide, Angela Kelly, Reveals Hilarious Prank Pulled on the Monarch
Angela Kelly, the Queen's dressmaker and confidante, has released a tell-all book about her experiences working with the British Royal Family.
In her book, The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Kelly recounts a hilarious April Fools prank she pulled on the monarch during her Royal Tour in Australia back in 2006.
The Queen had expressed her excitement to see the kookaburra bird, which is native to Australia and New Guinea.
Kelly found a soft toy version of the bird in a market while the Queen was attending an engagement and placed it in a little cage on the balcony of her room at the Governor's House.
When the Queen returned, Kelly told her there was a funny-looking grey bird on her balcony.
The Queen looked outside and identified it as a kookaburra.
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Kelly pretended the bird was dead and the Queen was horrified until Kelly revealed it was an April Fools prank.
The Queen was shocked and jokingly fired Kelly, who was laughing uncontrollably.
Kelly's book also reveals how she came to work for the Royal Family.
Before joining the Queen's household, Kelly was working as a housekeeper for the British Ambassador in Germany, Sir Christopher Malaby.
The Queen and Prince Philip visited Malaby's home during an official Royal visit to Germany and met Kelly by chance.
The next year, Kelly was offered a position as a dresser for the Queen and was later promoted to senior dresser and personal assistant.
Despite not having formal training in the fashion world, Kelly has designed some of the Queen's most iconic looks, including the pale yellow ensemble worn to Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding in 2011 and several dresses for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
Kelly also started her own fashion label, Kelly and Pordom, which she founded with dressmaker Alison Pordom.
Kelly's close relationship with the Queen has earned her the nickname “the monarch's gatekeeper.”
She sees the Queen every day, frequently joins her on trips abroad, and lives on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
While Kelly still calls the Queen “Your Majesty,” she is one of the few non-family members who is allowed to touch the Queen.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Kelly said, “I love the Queen and everything about her.
She has allowed me to become closer to her over the years.
I would never overstep the mark, and I remain in awe of the Queen.”
Despite their unique relationship, Kelly maintains that they are just two typical women who discuss clothes, make-up, and jewelry.
Kelly's book provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the British Royal Family and the close relationship between the Queen and her staff members.
While intimate details about the Royal Family are hard to come by, Kelly's book offers a delightful and humorous look at the Queen's personality and the people who work closely with her.