Mary Angela Kelly, CVO (born 4 November 1957) is a British fashion designer, dressmaker, and milliner, who served as Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser to Queen Elizabeth II from 1993 until the monarch's death in 2022.[1] Her official title was Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to Her Majesty The Queen (Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe).[2]
Angela Kelly, | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mary Angela Kelly 4 November 1957 |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion designer, dressmaker, milliner |
| Title | Personal Assistant, Adviser and Curator to the late Queen Elizabeth II (1993–2022) |
Early life
editKelly was born in Liverpool, as the daughter of a dock worker[3] and a nurse.[4]
Career
editKelly first began working for the Queen after gaining employment as the Queen's Dresser following an interview at Windsor Castle in 1994.[5] She was responsible for the Queen's clothes, jewellery and insignia, researching the venues for royal visits as well as the significance of different colours, in order to create appropriate outfits for the monarch.[6] In 2019, Kelly announced that the Queen would only wear faux-furs.[7]
Notable creations by Kelly include:
- The replica of the royal christening gown.[8][9] The original, which had been commissioned by Queen Victoria for the christening of her first child, Victoria, Princess Royal, was retired in 2004 by Elizabeth II for conservation purposes.[8] Kelly's replica has been worn by royal babies for their christenings since 2008.[10]
- The Queen's outfit for the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton;[9][11] a primrose-yellow double crepe wool coat and matching wool dress, with hand-sewn beading at the neck in the shape of sunrays.
- Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's outfits for the wedding of Zara Phillips.[12]
- Together with British fashion designer Stewart Parvin, Kelly altered, remodeled and fitted the dress that Princess Beatrice of York wore at her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on 17 July 2020. The original dress was designed by the British fashion designer Norman Hartnell, who had originally created it for Queen Elizabeth II, the bride's grandmother, in the 1960s.[13]
Prince Harry alleged that Kelly was obstructive regarding a tiara promised by the Queen to his fiancé Meghan Markle for a rehearsal with her hairdresser prior to their wedding in 2016. Harry wrote in his memoir Spare that Kelly refused as "the tiara would require an orderly and a police escort to leave the palace" and that "She fixed me with a look that made me shiver. I could read in her face a clear warning. 'This isn't over.'".[14] Kelly did not respond to Harry's recollections in his memoir.[15]
With other members of the royal household, she attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022.[16]
Other work
editKelly founded a fashion label, Kelly & Pordum, with Alison Pordum, who was also employed as the Queen's in-house dressmaker until 2008.[17] Kelly is also the author of Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe and The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.
Honours
editBibliography
edit- Kelly, Angela (2012). Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe. ISBN 978-1-905686-26-1.[21]
- Kelly, Angela (2019). The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-0008368364.
References
edit- ^ Royal Collection - Queen & Commonwealth
- ^ "9 things to know about the Queen's dressmaker Angela Kelly". 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth II's style shaped to suit a sovereign". France 24. AFP. 8 September 2022.
- ^ Nicholson, Abigail (19 September 2022). "Queen's Liverpool right hand woman attends her funeral". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ "The Queen's Dressmaker: Angela Kelly". 7 August 2015.
- ^ "Her Majesty's A team". Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth II is going fur-free". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ a b Holt, Bethan; Ranscombe, Stan (6 July 2019). "The story behind the royal christening robe that Archie Mountbatten Windsor wore for his baptism". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ a b Taylor, Elise (20 February 2018). "Who Is Angela Kelly, the Queen's Right-Hand Woman at London Fashion Week?". Vogue. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ Joseph, Claudia (20 October 2013). "Creator of christening gown finally revealed". The Times. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ Liverpool-born designer Angela Kelly designed the Queen's Royal Wedding outfit - In The Mix Today - News - Liverpool Echo
- ^ Zara Phillips wedding guests: fashion verdicts - mirror.co.uk
- ^ Hallemann, Caroline (18 July 2020). "Princess Beatrice's Stunning Vintage Wedding Dress Was Her "Something Old"". Town and Country Magazine. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ Harry (2023). Spare. Random House. ISBN 978-0-593677-86-5.
- ^ Crawford-Smith, James (8 November 2023). "Everything Prince Harry Said About 'Tiaragate' Conflict". Newsweek. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ Newton, Jennifer (19 September 2022). "Queen's devoted best friend who was with her until the end pays her respects". mirror. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ Newbold, Alice (9 February 2016). "How Angela Kelly created the Queen's latest elegant look". The Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "No. 58014". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2006. p. 3.
- ^ 2012 Jubilee Honours List - Royal.gov website Archived September 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 64008". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 March 2023. p. D2.
- ^ New Royal Collection Trust publication Dressing The Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe