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)
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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