The Queen’s Secret Signals: What Her Handbag Really Means

For years, the Queen’s trusty lawner handbag has been a constant companion at official engagements.

But it turns out the accessory has a more important use than holding her spectacles.

According to royal historian Hugo Vickers, the Queen uses her bag to send secret signals to her staff to indicate when she’s ready to move on from a conversation.

Vickers revealed that shifting the bag from one hand to the other is an indication the royal is ready to end a chat.

It’s been said the Queen will place her bag on a table at events to signal that she’s ready to leave.

A discreet twist of her wedding ring is another secret signal that the Queen uses to emphasize that she’d like to be moved on from a conversation quickly.

Of the handbag hand switch to summon helpers, Vickers said, “luckily, they’d let you down easy, it would be done very nicely.

Someone would come along and say, sir, the Archbishop of Canterbury would very much like to meet you.”

If the Queen is particularly keen to exit the conversation, she will make the more significant gesture of twisting her ring as a sign to staff to intervene.

While taking official meetings at Buckingham Palace, the Queen has the use of a discreet buzzer that gives staff the nod to open the doors and accompany the guest out.

Staff are very adept at handling the Queen’s requests subtly, according to Vickers.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s favourite designer, Alice Temperley, has also offered an insight into the Queen’s secret signals.

Whilst meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace, Temperley admitted that she made a string of embarrassing faux pas.

One moment included failing to realize that when the Queen squeezes her hand, it’s time to move on.

“I just stood there and chatted,” she said.

But the Queen is not the only one who makes her handbag more than just an accessory to complement her outfit.

The founder of Beaumont Etiquette, Myka Meier, told Good Housekeeping that the Duchess of Cambridge always carries a clutch bag for a very particular reason.

Kate often holds her bag in front of her in both hands when shaking hands might be awkward.

The Queen carries her bag over her left arm so that her right hand is free to greet people.

Her handbag has become as intrinsic to her as crowns and corgis, and now we know it has a more important use than just holding her spectacles.

The Queen’s secret signals are just one of the many fascinating insights into the life of the monarch that continue to intrigue us.