The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

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This book is absolutely delightful. I am enjoying every part of it. Angela Kelly writes beautifully about the clothing and both her working and personal relationship with The Queen. Angela writes in such an interesting and enriching way, drawing you into the wonderful world of fashion, fabric and all that goes with it during the process of making sure The Queen is always dressed properly and perfectly. 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. I enjoyed learning about Kelly's personal memories about trips abroad, especially when she came to Canada and worked with the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia and her special fondness for the province of Saskatchewan;

Angela Kelly was one of the Queen's closest confidants - but it's claimed not everybody was that fond of her Credit: PA:Press AssociationAlso extreme name dropping, especially with QE2. I couldn't believe one of the earliest experiences she related when she kept bothering QE2 about elocution lessons even when QE2 had given her opinion once.

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.’ 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. You know how when you had to write a paper in school and there was a minimum length requirement so you just kept repeating and rewording the same thoughts over and over? That is this book.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. A few of the photos are only of scenic locations (e.g. the Taj Mahal, the Sydney Opera House, etc.) with no one in the shots.

And yet, when her long time Senior Dresser asked permission to write a book about working together, the Queen gave her enthusiastic approval, with (apparently) no strings attached. The Queen is a more intelligent woman than her mother and has a shrewd appreciation of the value of good publicity. She has the confidence to trust completely and it pays off.What I found really lovely is that this book verifies many stories from over the years that the Queen and Prince Phillip are people are very polite and thoughtful to staff who serve them. They are quintessential diplomats working within the confines of their roles. Prince Phillip sounds like a real character and its nice to read that the Queen asks his opinions about her outfits!! Quite relatable that the Queen likes a bargin too!