Angela Kelly bought the Queen a sweet gift during a Royal Tour to Australia – but she decided to have a bit of fun with it first at Her Majesty’s expense
The late Queen(Image: Getty Images)
The centenary of the birth of the late Queen is being celebrated with the biggest-ever exhibition of her incredible wardrobe. And the show features designs by the woman, who once described herself as the former monarch’s ‘best friend’.
Angela Kelly, was the former monarch’s personal dresser and designed many of her most memorable and colourful outfits – and was one of her most trusted aides. The pair were said to chat about “anything and everything”, as they drank tea and swapped jokes and anecdotes about their grandchildren. Ms Kelly released two books with her former boss’s blessing about her life curating her wardrobe, designing her vibrant looks and looking after her jewellery.
READ MORE: Queen’s best friend breaks silence after being ‘cut off’ from PalaceREAD MORE: William and Kate lead the royals in huge show of unity as they celebrate Easter
The late Queen at London Fashion Week with Dame Anna Wintour and Angela Kelly in 2018 (Image: Getty Images)
And in one of her books, she revealed the prank she played on the late Queen during a royal tour of Australia in 2006 – and Her Majesty’s witty response to it.
Writing in her book The Other Side of the Coin, the dresser explained that thelate Queen was desperate to see a kookaburra while Down Under. Unfortunately, she had trouble spotting one, but Ms Kelly saw a cute cuddly toy version at a Sydney market and decided to buy it and give it to her – but not before a little fun first.
She writes: “I had something in mind I thought the Queen would enjoy.” When she got back to Governor’s House, where they were all staying, she placed the toy in a little cage on the balcony outside her room. She then told the then monarch she had spotted a “funny-looking grey bird” through the window.
Ms Kelly added: “The Queen looked outside and shouted ‘It’s a kookaburra!’ I went to open the cage doors and she said loudly ‘No! Don’t do that! It will fly away!’ and was behind me in a flash. Turning to her Majesty while trying to keep a straight face, I solemnly told her it was dead.” The Queen looked “horrified” until her dresser walked towards her with outstretched arms and said “April Fool”.
Ms Kelly worked for the late Queen for almost 30 years(Image: PA)
She explained: “She had only two words for me: “You’re sacked. I was laughing uncontrollably as Her Majesty turned to His Royal Highness and said “Do you know what she has just done to me? Angela has had me!”.
The late Queen is said to have taken the little toy back to Windsor Castle with her, where it lived on the back of the sofa in her private living room.
Since Elizabeth II’s death, Ms Kelly has lost her grace-and-favour home on the Windsor estate and told her followers on Instagram : “Getting ready to say goodbye. I am moving at last to my new home which I will be able to call My Home at last.” Replying to a friend, she said her work phone had been disconnected and added she’d be moving to the Peak District, close to Sheffield, in a house provided by the King.
This week, six of Ms Kelly’s outfits that she created for her former boss went on show in an exhibition at Buckingham Palace called Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, although she has had little contact with the Palace since her departure.
Ms Kelly at the late Queen’s state funeral(Image: Getty Images)
However, as the 100th anniversary of the late Queen’s birth approaches the 68-year-old told Vanity Fair, how she remembers dancing and singing along to ABBA’s Dancing Queen in her bedroom.
She explained: “Every morning the queen would listen to the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. When the song Dancing Queen came on she loved it, and both of us would dance. The Queen would move from side to side and sing.
“Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn’t. I’d get carried away and be dancing all round her like I was at a disco, and the queen would tell me to ‘move over’ because I can’t sing and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the queen so relaxed.”
She also reminisced about spending the Easter holidays with the late Queen at Windsor adding: “The family would visit and she loved being granny. Her Majesty took her great-grandchildren out riding or walking. She did barbecues and fun things and she always washed the dishes, even when she was entertaining the prime minister.
“It was just a normal loving family, to be quite honest. If the duke, or whoever was cooking, burnt the burgers she’d just laugh. As long as they had extra to put back on, and as long as all the family were fed and watered, that was all right. The Queen was just full of energy and a really cool granny, to be honest.”
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