Tuesday, 26 November 2019

The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe – October 29, 2019 by Angela Kelly / Queen's closest confidante given 'extraordinary permission' to publish tell-all book about their work and friendship.



The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe – October 29, 2019
by Angela Kelly 

THE OFFICIAL BOOK, FULLY ENDORSED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
 
Angela Kelly 



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. 

‘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

When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.

In The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it’s preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority is to serve and support. Sharing never-before-seen photographs – many from Angela’s own private collection – and charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it’s like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way.

‘The book documents the unique working relationship between Her Majesty The Queen and the woman who has been her Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser for more than two decades: Angela Kelly. It gives a rare insight into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterized by humor, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty. Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with The Queen for us all to share.’ –Samantha Cohen, Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen (2011–2018)




 Queen's closest confidante given 'extraordinary permission' to publish tell-all book about their work and friendship

 Hannah Furness, royal correspondent
23 SEPTEMBER 2019 • 10:11AM

The Queen's personal dresser Angela Kelly has been given "extraordinary permission" to publish a book detailing their 25-year working relationship, with unseen pictures and "charming" anecdotes about their friendship.

Miss Kelly has worked at Buckingham Palace since 1994, first as the Queen's Senior Dresser before rising to the role of Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor and Curator and In-house Designer.

The two women have formed a close bond over the years, with Miss Kelly privy to the Queen's most personal moments and known in palace corridors as one of her most trusted confidentes.

The Queen has now given her blessing for her book, entitled The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe and due to be published by HarperCollins on October 29th.

Miss Kelly is described as having "a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen". In a 2007 interview with the Telegraph, she described their conversations as that of "two typical women" adding: "We discuss clothes, make-up, jewellery."

"We [the royal dressers] are not treated like flunkies," she said. "It's not like that. The Queen treats us with real respect.

"I don't know why the Queen seems fond of me - because I don't give her an easy time! I do think she values my opinion, but she is the one who is in control.

"I do worry about her and care about her. But we also have a lot of fun together. The Queen has a wicked sense of humour and is a great mimic. She can do all accents - including mine."

The Queen is said to have told her: "You and I do work well together. I think we are a good team."

Her key position at the palace has occasionally inspired jealousy from colleagues, she has suggested, joking: "I don't have any more room for knives in my back."

The book, which follows a picture-led account of the Queen's wardrobe in 2012, is particularly striking for having official permission, with members of the Royal Household normally bound not to discuss their work.

Previous books written by members of staff have been scorned by those loyal to the palace, with the positively saccharine account of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret's childhood seeing its author, former governess Marion Crawford, famously cast out in 1950.

A spokesman for HarperCollins said: "The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their unparalleled bond with the world. Angela Kelly is the first serving member of the Royal Household to have been given this extraordinary permission.

"Whether it’s preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority is to serve and support.

"Sharing never-before-seen photographs – many from Angela’s own private collection – and charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it’s like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way."

Samantha Cohen, former Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen, said: ‘This book documents the unique working relationship between Her Majesty The Queen and the woman who has been her Personal Advisor and Senior Dresser for more than two decades: Angela Kelly.

"It gives a rare glimpse into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterised by humour, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty.

"Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with The Queen for us all to share."

Katya Shipster, HarperNonFiction editorial  drector, said: ‘We are extremely proud to be Angela Kelly’s publishers for this beautiful book; this project has been a labour of love for a whole team of people at HarperCollins.

"Angela is a remarkable woman, and what I find particularly fascinating about her working partnership with The Queen – something that has been revealed to me over this process – is just how many elements Angela must take into account when she designs for Her Majesty.

"The work undertaken by Angela and her team is to ensure that anyone in the same room as The Queen will be awestruck, and the way they deliver this reaction is incredibly detailed and clever.

"The book, and its many gorgeous photographs, sheds light on all of this, as well as the history of Angela’s role, but more importantly and interestingly on the extraordinary working relationship between Her Majesty and one of her most trusted employees, giving us a personal glimpse of the other side of that famous image on every British coin."

Born in Walton, Merseyside, Miss Kelly is the daughter of a crane driver and a nurse. She has two grown-up sons, a grown-up daughter and grandchildren.

She has previously written one official book: Dressing The Queen (2012) which celebrated The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly will be published on October 29th. The audiobook, read by Angela, will also be released on the same day.


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