One of the Queen's most trusted aides has shared poignant details of how the Queen spent time alone in the hours after the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.
In a new chapter to update her book The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, which is published in this week's HELLO! magazine, Angela Kelly describes how she waited for the monarch in her dressing room until she had returned from the service at St George's Chapel.
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She says: "I helped her off with her coat and hat and no words were spoken. The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her own thoughts."
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Angela, whose full title is Her Majesty's Personal Advisor and Curator (The Queen's Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe), was a member of "HMS Bubble", the team of staff who isolated alongside Her Majesty and Prince Philip throughout lockdown to protect them from Covid-19.
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She writes of the day he died, 9 April 2021, "The feeling among all the Royal staff in the bubble at Windsor Castle was sombre. Only a few of us were told after the family had been informed."
The Queen sat alone at Prince Philip's funeral last year
On the day of his funeral, 17 April, staff were allowed to stand outside the Augusta Tower door opposite St George's Hall at the Castle. Angela writes: "The Queen's dressers, pages, chefs, housemaids, footmen and Castle attendants all stood to attention as The Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was carefully placed onto the Land Rover that he had specially designed for the day.
"You could see the expression of sadness on everyone's faces to see such a great and well-respected man making his last journey. Their thoughts, I'm sure, were for The Queen, knowing she had lost a husband and a best friend. The nation shared the grief and their hearts went out to Her Majesty."
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She says of the late Duke's pages and valets, who walked behind his coffin: "We all felt their pain as they had worked with him for so long and we had worked alongside them. It was hard to watch our own friends saying goodbye to their amazing boss, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
"I'm sure some of the prayers that were offered were by those who had never prayed before. I think those prayers were offered to keep The Queen strong throughout the months to come, when she would be without her husband."
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The Other Side of the Coin [Platinum Edition], by Angela Kelly, will be published by HarperCollins on May 12th 2022, at £25.00 Copyright © Angela Kelly 2022
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