Queen Elizabeth’s secret handbag signals: the subtle gestures that reveal when the British royal needs to make a quick exit

Oct 26 , 2020

After 94 years in the public eye, Queen Elizabeth has become rather good at coordinating her outfits – and using them to her advantage at events. Photo: EPA-EFE

Queen Elizabeth’s peaceful six-decade reign has not only made her a political rock star, but a fashion icon as well. Still dressing impeccably – coordinating her handbags and heels with her outfits – she appears not to have wavered an inch from her royal fashion rules over the years.

However, her much beloved Launer London handbags serve more of a purpose than you might think. Rarely spotted without one at official events, even at home in Buckingham Palace, she also uses them to sneakily send signals to her staff.

5 times Queen Elizabeth broke her own royal protocol

Here are five ways the queen uses her handbags and accessories for another purpose.

Placing her handbag on the dinner table

According to The Telegraph, there are telltale signs when the queen wants to leave or bring an event to a close. If she wants to end dinner in five minutes’ time, all she has to do is pop her bag on the table.

Draping her handbag over her left arm and switching it

The queen has a habit of draping her handbag over her left arm, so when she switches it, it’s a clear sign that she’s bored and wants to move along, according to royal historian Hugo Vickers. This gesture is a discreet directive that she would like the staff to help end the conversation.

As Vickers explained to People magazine: “It would be very worrying if you were talking to the queen and saw the handbag move from one hand to the other.” However, he adds that royal staff always attempt to do the deed in a nice way, and accommodate the person in question by directing him or her to another guest.

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Putting her handbag on the floor

This gesture is a bit more personal and direct if the queen shifts her bag to the floor instead of the table. The Telegraph notes that such a move supposedly signals that she is not enjoying the conversation and wants to be rescued by her lady-in-waiting.

Twisting her wedding ring

It seems that after a lifetime of public engagements, the queen has mastered the art of sending subtle signals to her team. If it’s not possible to put her bag on the ground, she twists her wedding ring. According to Hugo Vickers, she’ll do this to signal her aids to interrupt the conversation and assist with a graceful exit.

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Expressing her political views

Royal guidelines dictate that the queen and her family must maintain a neutral stance on politics. However, the public has observed that there may be subtle clues hidden in Queen Elizabeth’s sartorial choices. According to Reader’s Digest, when she spoke at the annual State Opening of Parliament after the Brexit vote in 2017, the queen opted to wear a blue hat with yellow flowers arranged in a circular pattern, which resembled the European Union flag.

Similarly, when Trump visited the UK for the first time in 2018, the queen wore a brooch given to her by former president Barack Obama, which royal fans interpreted as a “subtle dig and a swipe at the president.”

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Royalty

From her Launer handbags to a vintage brooch gifted by Michelle and Barack Obama, the queen knows how to put her fashion choices to good use – specifically, getting her out of awkward conversations