As for what the queen kept in her bag, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith says the items weren't all that different from what normal women carry with them: a mirror, lipstick, mint lozenges and reading glasses. As for the rest of the royal family, they have their own dress code rules they have to follow.
Queen Elizabeth II's handbags served as both practical fashion statements and a means of communicating with her servants in secret about when she wanted conversations to finish, according to a number of Royal specialists. The Queen always carried a handbag on her arm to match her extravagant attire or the occasion.
"I always keep one for emergencies." "So do I. I keep mine in here," the Queen says, pulling a sandwich out of her trusty handbag, an accessory that she's rarely seen without.
Queen Elizabeth's favorite handbag brand was Launer
The queen was clearly not a fan of black and beige outfits, but she was hands down a devotee to Launer's bespoke black handbags, a fixture in most of her public engagements.
The royals carry a clutch because it keeps her hands busy. The sneaky etiquette reason for the style choice is actually sort of devious. You don't have to shake hands with someone if you don't have open hands to shake.
According to royal author Marcia Moody's 2013 book Kate: A Biography, Catherine always carries three four items with her. "In her small clutch she carries a compact mirror, blotting paper, a handkerchief and lip balm," she writes.
Putting her bag on the floor was a sign that she needed to be saved from an uncomfortable encounter ASAP. If she was at dinner and placed it on the table, that meant she wanted to end the event in the next five minutes.
Launer bags are available in a range of colorways and finishes, but Her Majesty preferred the black patent styles. For the Prince and Princess of Wales's wedding in 2011, however, she commissioned a bespoke beige bag to wear with her lemon-yellow outfit, prompting Launer's website to crash and sales to skyrocket.
According to reports by Town & Country, the Queen owns more than 200 of the brand's bags and her top styles are 'the black leather Royale, black patent leather Traviata and a third custom handbag. ' According to Launer's website, they've been supplying the Queen's handbags since 1968.
The Queen reportedly owns more than 200 Launer bags and according to Town & Country, her favourite styles are “the black leather Royale, black patent leather Traviata and a third custom handbag”.
Queen Elizabeth II looks at products on the shelves at a Waitrose supermarket during a visit to the town of Poundbury on 27 October 2016 in Poundbury, Dorset.
What Happens With Queen Elizabeth's Clothes? Queen Elizabeth never wears the same outfit twice at important events. Therefore, the sovereign prefers to either change her outfits and if she gets bored of them, she sends them to her dressers, who are then allowed to either wear them themselves or sell them.
You'll find the Crown Jewels under armed guard in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. These gems are a unique working collection of royal regalia and are still regularly used by the monarch for important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament. Make sure to look out for the 'in use' signs.
A royal phone
As well as a number of private lines, the monarch's private mobile phone was unique. It may 'just' be a Samsung as many of us non-Royals have, but it was much more special.
According to one of Her Majesty's cousins, Queen Elizabeth carries a portable hook in her handbag. She'll take the hook on visits outside of the palace in case she should need to hang her bag up. The source, Jean Willis, explained that the Queen took care of the whole process - as witnessed in one episode.
And as to putting one's clothes on, contrary to popular belief the Queen actually dressed alone. The monarch also did her own make-up for most events, with the exception of her annual Christmas speech, for which a make-up artist was employed.
Apparently, Her Majesty carries around some mix of a compact, a lipstick, some tissues, mints, corgi treats, reading glasses, a diary, and a fountain pen—all useful things no matter where one is.
Launer London was Her Majesty's handbag maker for more than 50 years and has held the Royal Warrant since 1968. Launer bags are formal and structured, and proved to be the ideal regal accessory for public engagements. Its first royal patronage came from HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the 1950s.
According to People, Elizabeth's fondness for pearls began when she was a little girl and her father King George VI—carrying on a tradition started by Queen Victoria—gave her a platinum chain to which he would add two pearls on each birthday.
When it comes to smelling good, the Queen is said to use Floris London.
The Queen was a fan of Elizabeth Arden's lipsticks for years. According to Hello, the brand has held a Royal Warrant for over 55 years. Though it's not known exactly which colour the British Monarch preferred.
“I believe there's etiquette that ladies do not make their faces up in public,” the former royal footman explained, “but she had her bag over the side and she would take her lipstick out and put it on with no mirror or anything, and that was a signal to the ladies that she was ready to leave.”
In the fall of 2020, Kate debuted a new pendant necklace, which appeared to use precious stones from Princess Diana's famed Saudi suite of sapphires—a gift from the Saudi royal family to the late Princess of Wales on the occasion of her wedding, featuring sapphires and diamonds designed to match her Garrard enagement ...
According to Dior, Princess Diana fell in love with the style when the First Lady of France at the time, Madame Bernadette Chirac, gifted her with its “Chouchou” bag in 1995. When she was photographed carrying the style on multiple occasions, the fashion house renamed the bag the “Lady Dior” as a play on Lady Diana.
Etiquette expert Myka Meier revealed that Kate holds her bags in her left hand so she can keep her right hand free to greet and shake hands with guests at the many public functions she attends as a royal. And Kate isn't the only royal to do this.