Meet Queen Elizabeth’s most loyal aide till the end, Angela Kelly: the late monarch’s dresser since 1994 was dubbed her ‘best friend’ and even continues to stay at Windsor Castle after her death

Sep 14 , 2022

Queen Elizabeth’s royal dresser, Angela Kelly, was reportedly the late British monarch’s most loyal aide. Photos: Getty; AP

There’s no denying that Queen Elizabeth’s passing has once again shone a light on the British royal family, from King Charles being the successor to her throne to her pet corgis and getting to know the people who were closest to the former monarch.

Enter Angela Kelly ‒ the queen’s most loyal aide for the past three decades. She’s also known as her hairdresser, dresser and “best friend”, as claimed by various media. But what do we know about the 64 year old so far?

She started working as the queen’s dresser in 1994

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth sits next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, and royal dressmaker Angela Kelly as they view Richard Quinn’s runway show before presenting him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Award for British Design as she visits London Fashion Week, in February 2018. Photo: Reuters

A housekeeper for Christopher Mallaby, the then British ambassador to Germany in 1992, Kelly impressed the queen when the latter asked who the guests would be in the following weeks, according to Nss G-Club. Rather than sharing, Kelly refused to disclose the names, leaving the queen stunned.

The following year after Kelly returned to Britain, she received a job offer as one of the queen’s dressers. According to the Evening Standard, Kelly believed that the queen found her trustworthy during that meeting, which prompted her to offer Kelly the job. She began working for the British monarch soon after.

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She received numerous awards for her service to the queen

Angela Kelly, the personal dresser to Queen Elizabeth, proudly wears her Royal Victorian Order medal, after it was presented to her by the queen, at the Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, in November 2012, in London, England. Photo: Getty Images

Kelly’s long years of service to the queen did not go unrecognised ‒ she was appointed as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 2006, and later promoted to Lieutenant of the same Order in 2012. During her 20th year of service, Kelly was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth version of the Royal Household Long and Faithful Service Medal in 2014, per British media.

Was part of the HMS bubble during lockdown

Angela Kelly, personal assistant and dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth, leaves the Goring Hotel after attending a Christmas lunch hosted by the queen for her close members of staff in December 2018, in London, England. Photo: Getty Images

When the Covid-19 pandemic peaked, Kelly was part of the HMS Bubble ‒ a small group of royal household staff put together to keep the royal family safe during the lockdown, she shares in her book The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, The Dresser And The Wardrobe.

As they worked and lived together, Kelly also started “Kelly’s Salon” where she was in charge of washing and styling the queen’s hair. According to the British media, Kelly was actually terrified of her hair duties and needed a “stiff drink” later on.

She secured a three-book deal

Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe by Angela Kelly. Photo: Amazon

Being the queen’s closest confidante, per various media, Kelly was given the green light by her majesty to publish three tell-all books about their friendship, her experience working for the royals and the royal’s fashion history, per Hello! magazine.

Titled Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe, the first book was published in 2012 whereas the second book, The Other Side of the Coin was published in 2019 and later revised earlier this May. As of now, the third book is yet to be published.

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Granted to stay at her grace-and-favour home after the queen’s passing

It is normal for staff who serve the royal family to have a one-month notice after the end of their reign before they get allocated to work for another royal household, per British media.

However, it was not the case for Kelly – she was granted to stay at the queen’s grace-and-favour home at Windsor Castle even after the queen’s passing, according to reports. Previously, Kelly already moved into Windsor Castle and was there to aid with the queen’s mobility during her final few months.

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Queen Elizabeth

Kelly first met Britain’s longest reigning monarch in 1992, when she impressed the latter with her respect for clients’ privacy – it didn’t take long for Elizabeth to hire her
She’s won awards throughout her service to the royal family, and was a part of the HMS Bubble during Covid-19, even becoming the queen’s hairdresser for a time