Angela Kelly, the former dresser to the late Queen Elizabeth II, has been given a three-bedroom bungalow in the Peak District, as part of a lifetime accommodation arrangement with the Royal Family. The bungalow is located in a beautiful setting, with spectacular views over rolling hills. It has a cosy dining room, an open-plan kitchen and a spacious lounge. Kelly, who worked for the royal household for more than 25 years, had a uniquely close working relationship with the Queen. She was known as AK-47 for her no-nonsense attitude and was treated with respect by the Queen. The pair first met in 1992, when Kelly was working as a housekeeper for the British Ambassador to Germany. The Queen and Prince Phillip visited Sir Christopher Mallaby at his home, while in Germany on an official visit. As they left, the pair said goodbye to the household staff, and the Duke of Edinburgh asked Kelly a question which would change her life forever. He quizzed Kelly over who was Sir Christopher’s next official visitor. But Kelly, revealing all in her tell-all book The Other Side of the Coin, the Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, said she refused to answer him. She explained that the information was confidential – even to the Queen. The Duke pressed her again, saying: “Surely you can tell Her Majesty the Queen?” he said.” Angela said that as she had signed the official secrets act, she was forbidden from telling them. The exchange had taken place in front of the Queen – and it made a lasting impression on her. As Angela said goodbye to the Queen, she told her she’d remember this moment for the rest of her life, to which the monarch replied: “Angela, so will I.” It was just two months after that visit that the Queen requested Angela come and work for her at Buckingham Palace, as her assistant dresser. “I don’t know why the Queen seems fond of me – because I don’t give her an easy time! I do think she values my opinion, but she is the one who is in control. “I do worry about her and care about her. But we also have a lot of fun together. The Queen has a wicked sense of humour and is a great mimic. She can do all accents – including mine.” In a chapter of her book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, published in Hello!, Angela shared how she was tasked with washing and styling the Queen’s hair for the first time for Zoom calls during lockdown. The Queen treats us with real respect. Angela was one of the few core staff part of “HSM Bubble” living at Windsor Castle. She wrote: “Due to the bubble restrictions, the Queen’s hairdresser was unable to come into the Castle, so I became a temporary hairdresser. “From March 2020 onwards, I washed the Queen’s hair every week, set and styled it, and even trimmed it when needed.” Angela shared how her team even nicknamed her services as “Kelly’s salon”. Originally from Liverpool, divorcee Angela is not a trained hairdresser, and admitted she was left “shaking” from nerves at first.
Royal Dresser Angela Kelly Gifted a £465,000 Bungalow in the Peak District
