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Privacy NoticeThroughout her life, Queen Elizabeth II posed for numerous photographs, including hundreds of family pictures, making her one of the most photographed women in the world. While she usually had to pose formally with dignitaries, there was one thing the monarch had always wanted to try but couldn’t. According to the Queen’s close friend and dresser Angela Kelly, the Queen had always dreamed of posing less formally specifically, with her hands in her pockets. However, this idea was rejected by The Queen Mother and senior counsellors as “unsuitable for the public eye.” In her 2019 book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Angela revealed she knew about the Queen’s “secret wish” and devised a plan to make it happen.
The late Queen had always wanted to pose more informally
(Image: 2017 Max Mumby/Indigo)
As one of the monarch’s closest aides, Angela had permission from the Queen to write her book. Recalling a special moment, Angela wrote, “I wondered if I might have a wonderful opportunity to make the Queen’s wish come true.” Angela asked the Queen to “do her a favour” and pose with her hands in her pockets for an image in the book. The Queen looked at Angela in amazement, understanding the implications of the photo, and agreed. Recalling the moment, Angela wrote: “The Queen looked at me in amazement as I asked whether she knew the implications of the photographs. She didn’t take long to answer: yes, she would do it and, yes, she was sure.” Angela reveals the Queen’s natural flair for photography during a session with Barry Jeffery, saying: “Her Majesty took her position in front of the lens and started striking a series of poses, slipping her hands in and out of her pockets and placing them onto her hips, mimicking the stances of a professional model.” Angela adds in awe, “I stood by in disbelief – The Queen was a natural Barry and I felt we were experiencing something really special: a moment never to be repeated.”
The late Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly knew about the monarch’s secret wish and helped it come true
(Image: 2018 Max Mumby/Indigo)
As captivating as this tale is, it turns out the late monarch had her own conditions while working with photographers. Celebrated photographer Rankin shared on the Tea with Twiggy podcast his experience photographing the Queen, expressing, “Of course she came in and this wave of empowerment washes over you.” Rankin was charmed by her humour, recalling, “I’ve never felt that aura and she was just so funny from the minute she walked in. I was like, ‘I really want to photograph you holding the sword,’ and she said, ‘I don’t like my hands.'” Reflecting on her response, he admired, “[I thought] that’s the best ‘get out’ for holding the sword. I’m probably not supposed to say that, but what I loved about her is she’s so smart and everything in response that she was saying had this amazing twist to it. It was just really, really brilliant. I loved it.”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnQueen Elizabeth IIRoyal FamilyBuckingham Palace
