The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

Platinum Jubilee edition

‘Full of gems … Angela Kelly is a jewel in the crown’
Daily Telegraph

‘Entertaining and beautifully illustrated’
The Sunday Times

‘For real intel, [The Crown] can’t come close to The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly’
The New York Times

‘When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace.’

Angela worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-eight years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shared a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.

Her Majesty personally gave Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it was preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority was to serve and support. Sharing never-before-seen photographs – many from Angela’s own private collection – and charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it was like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way.

Revised and updated to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, this special edition of The Other Side of the Coin contains chapters covering the Royal Household’s isolation during the pandemic, Angela’s own devotion to service to keep the monarch safe, and the light and laughter that was shared behind closed doors, even in the darkest moments.

Reviews

‘For the nearly seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty The Queen has used clothing to create a powerful visual identity that transcends fashion and has made her perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet. Angela Kelly, building on the work of the great designers and milliners who have worked with Her Majesty through the years – including couturiers Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas, and milliners such as Simone Mirman and Freddy Fox – brings her own imagination to bear on an iconic ‘uniform’ that suggests continuity and tradition, and ensures that the wearer is always the most visible person in a room or a crowd.’
– Anna Wintour,Vogue

‘The book documents the unique working relationship between Her Majesty The Queen and the woman who has been her Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser for more than two decades: Angela Kelly. It gives a rare insight into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterised by humour, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty. Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with The Queen for us all to share.’ – Samantha Cohen, Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen (2011–2018)

‘Fascinating book’
– HELLO!

‘The book is a trove of warm and insightful anecdotes’
– Daily Mail

‘Angela Kelly shares fascinating and charming anecdotes’
– Good Housekeeping

‘Life with the Queen uncloaked. It is the Queen, and Angela’s photographs of her, that make this anecdotal book unique. The pages are full of small pranks and light-hearted fun. The Other Side of the Coin lifts the royal curtain without offending anyone. *****’
– Daily Express