Are some of the detailed descriptions of Queen's private room discussed in the news and social media true? 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? 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.

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. Her Majesty needed to look glamorous on every occasion: there must not be a 'stand-out' outfit that overshadowed the rest, especially since she would be visiting two countries. There were also cultural sensitivities to take into account: would any particular colour be considered offensive or inappropriate?" One of the good things about working in the same job for such a long time is that it allows you to put things right that haven't gone quite as planned in the past." It's not unenjoyable or enjoyable, you can skim long passages, it's somewhere between boring and a perfect example of 'meh'. 2.5 stars, at best. I'm not a clothes horse OR a follower of the Royals, but I was fascinated by Kelly's stories of her childhood as one of six children in a working class family in Liverpool. She started working at age fifteen and married and had three children by the time she was in her twenties. She was divorced when she was hired to take charge of the Queen's wardrobe.

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Notes on Reading I once read that the Queen said "I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary job". And I believed it, but she's not. She's not like us at all. When Prince William, who is her grandson and second in line to the throne, got married and the invites went out the first thing all the women did was concentrate on getting the right outfit. I'm sure that Carole Middleton, mother of the bride, had the outfit, jewellery and accessories all sorted out months before. But the Queen only decided three weeks before that she'd like to wear something in yellow. Who does that? 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. There's little about the Queen's relationship with her children or grandchildren, but Prince Philip plays a starring role. The author is an admirer of that controversial character, claiming that his value to the Queen was that he ALWAYS told her the truth. I loved his blunt opinion of an outfit done in a loud plaid. Suitable for covering the sofa, was the way he put it, saving his wife the embarrassment of appearing in clothing unsuited for her petite figure. With the help of Angela Kelly, she opted for yellow and pink and powder blue, in summery dresses with pretty floral designs."

I enjoy reading about the Royal Family. I found this audiobook on Hoopla shortly after Queen Elizabeth II passed away; and, For the nearly seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty The Queen has used clothing to create a powerful visual identity that transcends fashion and has made her perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet. Angela Kelly, building on the work of the great designers and milliners who have worked with Her Majesty through the years – including couturiers Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas, and milliners such as Simone Mirman and Freddy Fox – brings her own imagination to bear on an iconic ‘uniform’ that suggests continuity and tradition, and ensures that the wearer is always the most visible person in a room or a crowd.’–Anna Wintour, Vogue In 2012 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, 60 years on the throne, only the second English monarch to do so, Queen Victoria being the first. Even in an ordinary year she attends many events, but this year was special so more were planned, and her wardrobe had to be special too. Angela Kelly serves as the queen's personal assistant, advisor and curator of the personal jewel collection. She also designs most of the queen's wardrobe, including hats, but always with input from the queen. Everything has to be reasonably comfortable to wear, easily seen in a crowd. They start with the fabric which has to not crease or crush easily. They do special shopping, but start with the collection of fabric they already have, much of it bought on previous trips overseas as well as locally in the UK. The wardrobe is made in-house by dressmakers, with a milliner for the hats. 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.That she and Prince Philip didn’t see each other for weeks after he retired from public duties in 2017 From Her Majesty’s trusted confidant and Dresser Angela Kelly LVO comes a lavishly designed book of never-before-seen photos of The Queen, Her wardrobe and Her jewels and features intimate anecdotes from Angela’s 25-year career working closely with Her Majesty. A truly unique keepsake and collectors’ item to be treasured.