Imagine you're the Queen sitting at an official dinner and you're getting rather tired of the conversation – what do you do? As the monarch, others expect you to be polite at all times.
To deal with such eventualities, Her Majesty is said to have a very subtle system in place to ensure she's never stuck in a disagreeable situation.
An article in The Telegraph revealed how the royal uses her handbag to send signals to her staff, which we think is complete genius.
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The paper writes: "If the Queen places her handbag on the table at dinner, it signals that she wants the event to end in the next five minutes."
"If she puts her bag on the floor, it shows she’s not enjoying the conversation and wants to be rescued by her lady-in-waiting." We can just picture the royal staff watching the Queen's handbag for any coded manoeuvres!
The Queen at an official dinner at Buckingham Palace
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We've always wondered why the Queen carries her Launer handbag indoors, especially when her ladies in waiting could hold it for her - and now we know.
Back in 2018, Launer CEO Gerald Bodmer told New Idea magazine gave another reason the Queen always has her handbag on her person. He revealed: "She doesn’t feel fully dressed without her handbag. But if the Queen doesn’t like what we’ve made her, she won’t wear it. She definitely knows what she wants."
The Queen's handbag has many roles
The Queen sees her handbag as an integral part of her outfit, whether indoors or outdoors, so carries it wherever she goes and always on her left arm. It's thought her handbag holds her reading glasses, handkerchief, mints, a fountain pen and a portable hook to hang the bag under tables.
Phil Dampier, the author of What's In The Queen's Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets, told HELLO! she also carries treats for her corgis, the occasional crossword puzzle, a diary, camera and a handy penknife. It is believed the bag contains a small mirror, some family photographs and lipstick, too.
We're so going to be watching the Queen's handbag moves next time she's on telly...
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