The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

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Update: I was interested (but not surprised) to learn that when the Queen retreated to Windsor Castle (after being widowed and in the face of the pandemic) the author was invited to live with her full time. Clearly, Ms Kelly was a cherished companion, as well as the keeper of the wardrobe. I enjoy reading about the Royal Family. I found this audiobook on Hoopla shortly after Queen Elizabeth II passed away; and,

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With other members of the royal household, she attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022. [14] Other work [ edit ] She says little about her children and how she managed as a working single mother. A shame, since I would have been interested. She must have had family support as her job required long hours and much time out of London. She does write about her four grandchildren, especially the granddaughter who shares her love of clothes and clothing design. Mary Angela Kelly, LVO (born 4 November 1957, Liverpool), is a British fashion designer, dressmaker, and milliner, who served as Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to Queen Elizabeth II from 2002 to the Queen's death in 2022. Her official title is Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to Her Majesty The Queen (Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe). Are some of the detailed descriptions of Queen's private room discussed in the news and social media true? Newton, Jennifer (19 September 2022). "Queen's devoted best friend who was with her until the end pays her respects". mirror . Retrieved 26 September 2022.

Angela describes the Queen in a personal light without revealing anything too personal and nothing scandalous. Queen Elizabeth is interested in the details of every aspect of her job and what is reflected to the world. I loved the stories of local tribes, people and markets from her visits supply her wardrobe. That QEII enjoys a good bargain and is known to use fabric she may have given 30 plus years ago today. QEII is also a practical joker who takes it as well as she gives it. Prince Phillip is a person you can rely on when you need an honest opinion (when asked about a questionable fabric choice he responded with "are we reupholstering the couch?" Angela clearly loves QEII and by extension her job. Newbold, Alice (9 February 2016). "How Angela Kelly created the Queen's latest elegant look". The Telegraph . Retrieved 4 August 2019. I would have been interested to read more in the book about the history of the position of the Queen's dresser over the course of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Kelly notes that previous dressers did not keep records concerning the provenance of materials in the Queen's wardrobe and I would liked to learn more about the challenges Kelly faced in organizing the Queen's fashions when she began her role. I wasn't expecting Kelly to disclose any deep, dark secrets. Some things as best left private. I did; however, learn a lot more about the Queen than I knew before, which made this a most enjoyable read for me.

The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the

Liverpool-born designer Angela Kelly designed the Queen's Royal Wedding outfit - In The Mix Today - News - Liverpool Echo Not that she doesn't value discretion. She met the author during a royal visit to the British Embassy in Germany, where Kelly was the housekeeper. Asked about who would be the next guest there, Kelly refused to say, citing the pledge she had given not to divulge details of her duties. The Queen and Prince Philip were amused at Kelly's firmness, but they didn't forget it, either. Soon afterwards, she returned to England and was approached about a job in the Palace. The Royals like staff who can keep their mouths shut! The author portrays the Queen as an intelligent woman with a well-developed sense of humor and a charming modesty. Her life's work (and first responsibility) is to serve the people of the British Empire and her ego is sublimated to that goal. If a hat designed to match that day's outfit turns out to be unflattering, she's unflappable. She won't have a temper tantrum and disappoint the people who've come to see her. She's the Queen and their servant. She must go through with her schedule and she MUST wear a hat. If it looks like hell, too damned bad. Joseph, Claudia (20 October 2013). "Creator of christening gown finally revealed". The Times . Retrieved 26 September 2022. The replica of the royal christening gown. [8] [9] The original, which had been commissioned by Queen Victoria for the christening of her first child, Victoria, Princess Royal, was retired in 2004 by Elizabeth II for conservation purposes. [8] Kelly's replica has been worn by royal babies for their christenings since 2008. [10]There are a lot of fillers inserted as chapters, by other staff, by photographers, by designers on how wonderful Angela Kelly is, what a joy to work for, such a privilege to be invited to work for the Queen. Major toadying. I wouldn't say it was boasting as I think these were probably inserted by an editor to pad out this insubstantial book. Hallemann, Caroline (18 July 2020). "Princess Beatrice's Stunning Vintage Wedding Dress Was Her "Something Old" ". Town and Country Magazine . Retrieved 18 July 2020. And yet, when her long time Senior Dresser asked permission to write a book about working together, the Queen gave her enthusiastic approval, with (apparently) no strings attached. The Queen is a more intelligent woman than her mother and has a shrewd appreciation of the value of good publicity. She has the confidence to trust completely and it pays off.

The Other Side of the Coin – HarperCollins

But I ask myself is it the position or is the money? I recently had a short relationship, 3-4 months, with a billionaire racing car driver. He did odd time-related things too. When we got to Daytona for the PCA OktoberFast, the practices were next day (these determine pole position on the grid) and he decided he wanted a spare engine 'just in case'. So he got an engine air-freighted in overnight. Just like that. Who does that? Nicholson, Abigail (19 September 2022). "Queen's Liverpool right hand woman attends her funeral". Liverpool Echo . Retrieved 26 September 2022. Anyway! The lovely woman who wrote this book talked about…clothing! Duh what she created with her own vision; what she saw in high end boutiques it’s just amazing. And of course it discusses their special friendship. Quite touching. DREAM JOBMary 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. [1] Her official title was Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to Her Majesty The Queen (Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe). [2] Early life [ edit ] I enjoyed learning about Kelly's personal memories about trips abroad, especially when she came to Canada and worked with the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia and her special fondness for the province of Saskatchewan;

Angela Kelly became the most important person in the How Angela Kelly became the most important person in the

Kelly herself is a tough Liverpool-Irish girl with great energy and an optimistic outlook. She loves fabric and clothes and feels privileged to have been the means of encouraging the Queen to transition to brighter colors and more modern designs. It's always fun to read about someone who loves his/her job. Kelly founded a fashion label, Kelly & Pordum, with Alison Pordum, who was also employed as the Queen's in-house dressmaker until 2008. Kelly is also the author of Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe and The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.

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The way Queen Elizabeth II came to the London Olympics inauguration garnered much public attention. The author takes us to some new information that happened behind the scenes, how this whole procedure was carried out, and why the Queen agreed to do such a funny video with James Bond breaking the protocol. Angela also shares her love for design with her granddaughter Scarlett, which made me smile as I share my own sewing stories with my own grandmother Carol. First impression matter. Angela met QEII while working at the Berlin embassy. She refused to tell the Queen who was coming next since she had signed a confidentially agreement. One crucial factor was the dress The Queen would wear for the momentous skydive. I had to be careful not to choose a colour that was strongly associated with any of the participating nations, too, so after much consideration, I chose peach. However, the colour wasn't the only factor, the dress also had to be designed perfectly to allow movement in the skirt as The Queen seemingly flew through the air." When I read how the Queen's "dresser" got permission to write this book, I thought of the sad story of the Queen's childhood governess, her beloved "Crawfie." Ms Crawford played a vital role in the development of Princess Elizabeth and her sister, but in retirement she made the mistake of writing a book about her time with the royal family. The book was completely positive and gives valuable information about the Queen's formative years.