Designers working on the Queen's wardrobe
Angela Kelly, the daughter of a docker from Walton, helps the monarch choose her clothes and designs them as well.
In her book, Dressing The Queen, she gives a first-hand account of working on the Queen’s outfits in her Diamond Jubilee year.
Top secret dresses for meetings with James Bond, no hats after 6pm
and jackets embroidered by indigenous north Americans are just some of
the Queen’s wardrobe wonders she reveals.
Miss Kelly, who is is believed to be in her late 50s and is said to
have retained her Liverpool accent, was named a Lieutenant of the Royal
Victorian Order (LVO) in the Diamond Jubilee Honours list and is
understood to have forged a close bond with the Queen since entering her
service in 1993.
Perhaps one of Her Majesty’s most famous outfits, the crystal and
lace peach cocktail dress she wore to the Olympics opening ceremony, was
made twice under top secret conditions, the book reveals. After months
of planning with the curtain raiser’s director, Danny Boyle, Ms Kelly
and her team made two identical versions of the dress to give the
illusion that it was actually the Queen, and not a stunt double,
parachuting from a helicopter above the Olympic stadium alongside 007.
The Palace dressmakers worked quietly for months on the dress, never
knowing why two were required for the Queen’s opening of the London
2012 Games, according to the book.
Another notable outfit, for the Diamond Jubilee river pageant, was
influenced by Queen Elizabeth I, and managed to offer the Queen some
protection from the wet weather as she travelled down the River Thames
on the Spirit of Chartwell.
In the book Ms Kelly wrote: "We never imagined the weather would
turn out so badly, but I am glad that we gave the Queen some protection
from the wind and rain with the frill that ran round the coat’s neckline
and down its front, and the matching white cashmere pashima."
Another famous outfit, the gold dress the Queen donned for the
Diamond Jubilee pop concert, was influenced by the golden figure of the
Queen Victoria Memorial, around which the stage was constructed,
according to the book.
Fittingly for a concert that featured a programme of British music
from the six decades of the Queen’s reign, the gown was bought in 1961.
The book, which features lavish colour photographs of Ms Kelly and
her team, design sketches and coverage of some of this year’s major
events, also revealed that the Queen rarely wears a hat after 6pm.
Ms Kelly wrote: "After 6pm, the Queen does not usually wear a hat
but may wear a headpiece, and to the evening state banquets, a tiara."
For state occasions, a tiara is always required, Ms Kelly said.
She wrote: "The Queen is very fond of the ’Girls of Great Britain
and Ireland’ tiara, which was given to her grandmother, Queen Mary, on
her marriage in 1893."
The tiara forms a shadow which appears as girls holding hands – the girls of Great Britain and Ireland.
That was in turn given to the Queen as a wedding present and is shown in her portrait on some coins and banknotes.
Trays used to present the Queen’s vast collection of jewellery
features lace covers handsewn by Queen Mary, with her own "M" monogram
stitched in.
The book also revealed the Queen’s diplomacy, as she chose to wear a
predominantly green dress on her May 2011 visit to the Republic of
Ireland, the country’s traditional colour.
It was the first time a British monarch has visited the country.
Ms Kelly wrote: "As a sign of respect for Ireland and her long-held
affection for the country, the Queen chose to wear a day outfit that was
predominantly green in colour."
For the evening gown she was to wear to the state banquet in Ireland
on May 18 2011, the Queen was very specific in her guidance, according
to Ms Kelly.
Her gown featured more than 2,000 silk shamrocks sewn on by hand and
an Irish harp design, made of crystals, replaced the Royal Family Order
normally worn on the Queen’s left shoulder during state occasions.
The Queen is also open to more unusual suggestions, the book
revealed. During Royal tour of Canada in 2010, she met people from the
Mi’kmaq indigenous community. Known as "the People of the Dawn", they
are famous for their intricate beading work.
Ms Kelly said she asked the community chiefs if the oldest
generation of skilled women would like to embellish the Queen’s yellow
jacket for the occasion.
She wrote: "This was a very unusual suggestion, since the Queen’s
outfits are normally kept secret for maximum impact on the day, but I
felt it was the right decision, as their knowledge of beading goes back
hundreds of years. They took enormous pride in being asked to undertake
this work."
"It really made the outfit special and was a lovely gesture done in such a personal way that gave added meaning to the outfit."
Among the other titbits revealed in the book, Ms Kelly said her team
occasionally weigh down the Queen’s dresses to avoid embarrassment in
blustery conditions.
She wrote: "The Queen undertakes a wide range of engagements, many
of which take place in the open air, where a sudden breeze could cause
embarrassment.
"If we think this is a possibility, we will very occasionally use weights, discreetly sewn into the seams of day dresses."
Dressing The Queen, features over 250 colour illustrations is out now, priced at £24.95 in hardback.
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