Angela Kelly spoke to Vanity Fair & there’s a new ‘tiara-gate’ variant in this piece

We’ve barely heard anything about Angela Kelly in the past two years or so. Kelly was Queen Elizabeth II’s dresser and keeper of the royal jewels. She was also known as AK-47, one of QEII’s closest confidantes, and someone more than willing to leak toxic bullsh-t against other royals and senior courtiers. In QEII’s final years, during the pandemic, Kelly was one of the few people by QEII’s side, and Kelly pursued her post-QEII agenda thoroughly. She conned a grace-and-favor home out of QEII for her retirement, and she also got the queen to “sign a letter” permitting Kelly to write books about “dressing the queen.” King Charles put a stop to all of that, evicting Kelly from her grace-and-favor home and buying her a new one far, far away from royal circles. The new home was seemingly contingent on Kelly never writing any of those books about QEII. Well, Kelly has now given an interview to Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair, and wouldn’t you know, in the middle of the interview, an “unnamed source” pops up to smear Prince Harry and Meghan over tiaras again. This whole thing is pitiful.

A twinkle in QEII’s eye: “The queen was committed to doing her duty to the very end. Her Majesty never let anyone down. Even when she felt unwell, Her Majesty would not want anyone to know,” says Kelly in an emotional and rare interview. “As I worked alongside the queen, year after year we were getting older, but we were both young at heart, the queen still had a twinkle in her eye. The banter and mischief continued until Balmoral. When the queen passed away she was surrounded by her family. It was a shock to the nation, to everyone. It was very sad, but it was an honor to serve the queen until the very end.”

People felt threatened by AK-47: “Angela crossed a line. She was technically a servant, but she was so much more than that. She became a confidante and a trusted member of the queen’s inner circle. People felt threatened by Angela, who could be ruthless, and that went right to the top,” recalled a former senior aide. “Private secretaries fell foul of Angela—she could make or break your palace career because she had the queen’s ear.”

AK-47 was always in QEII’s dressing room & bedroom: “Every morning the queen would listen to the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. When the song ‘Dancing Queen’ came on she loved it, and both of us would dance. The queen would move from side to side and sing. Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn’t. I’d get carried away and be dancing all round her like I was at a disco, and the queen would tell me to ‘move over’ because I can’t sing and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the queen so relaxed.”

Angela wore the queen’s priceless jewels: “I remember being quite taken aback when Angela walked into my office to discuss something with me while wearing a magnificent set of the queen’s pearls. These looked like priceless heirlooms, but Angela explained that the queen allowed this as pearls need to be close to skin to stop them from yellowing,” recalls Sir Andrew Ford, former comptroller of the Royal Household.

The tiara drama with Harry & Meghan: Meghan had been presented with several tiara options and preferred an emerald tiara, but the undefined provenance of its jewels meant it was not deemed a suitable choice. While Meghan was happy with the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau that the queen had offered her instead, tensions arose again when Meghan was told by Kelly that she was not allowed to use the tiara for a trying-on session with her hairdresser ahead of the wedding day, allegedly causing Harry to “erupt” at Kelly.

None of this happened: “Angela was very much caught in the middle,” explained a palace source. “She often took a bullet for the queen but this time Harry really went for Angela. He wanted the tiara but the queen refused to let it leave the palace two weeks before the wedding. Harry was giving Angela hell. At one point he said: ‘Let me tell you, I don’t agree with you talking to my grandmother about this.’ Angela was in tears and went to the queen saying she couldn’t take it any more. Eventually the queen said, ‘He can’t have it. I’ll deal with him. We’re having enough trouble with this wedding’.”

The pandemic: For all the globe-trotting and the hundreds of tours Kelly accompanied the queen on, their bond was truly cemented at Windsor during the COVID-19 lockdown between 2020 and 2021. Kelly was part of a team of trusted aides, which included private secretaries, pages and household staff, all isolating together within the castle grounds. With no hairdresser in the mix during lockdowns, Kelly had to master the art of the queen’s perm which she was “terrified of messing up,” she said. Kelly stayed by the queen’s side until lockdown ended, as loyal as she had always been during her decades of service.

Angela dressed the queen for her final journey: In 2022, Kelly was once again by the queen’s side during the final days and hours of the monarch’s life, which Kelly considers the ultimate honor. Kelly also dressed the queen for her final journey to Windsor. When King Charles ascended the throne, Kelly was told her services within the Royal Household were no longer required and that she would have to give up her cottage in Windsor.

[From Vanity Fair]

Who are you going to believe, the unnamed sources whose tiara-drama stories have changed a million times in eight years, or Harry’s on-the-record account of this drama in his memoir? I believe Harry. I also think Harry was wrong to encourage Meghan to take up QEII on her late offer for a tiara – Meghan should have stuck with the original plan to wear the Spencer Tiara. Anyway, this whole interview is really tacky. It’s astounding to me that all of the royal biographers and all of QEII’s closest confidantes are pushing a posthumous version of QEII who was vindictive, petty and easily swayed by con artists like Angela Kelly. Last thing: Angela Kelly did a TERRIBLE job looking after QEII in her final years. QEII wandered around looking unkempt and poorly taken care of. Her hair was often flat and matted too. Not to mention, QEII got covid twice, right? Insane. Harry had every right to be concerned, in 2022, about his grandmother’s welfare.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

: Miss Angela Kelly received the Royal Victoria Order
Investitures at Buckingham Palace, London, Britain – 16 Nov 2012,Image: 544105715, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 917 704 9816 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

: Miss Angela Kelly received the Royal Victoria Order
Investitures at Buckingham Palace, London, Britain – 16 Nov 2012,Image: 544105732, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 917 704 9816 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon

: Queen Elizabeth II leaves Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence, after a reception with representatives from local community groups to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659601837, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon

: Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, which is the Queen’s Norfolk residence. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago this Sunday when, on February 6 1952, the ailing King George VI – who had lung cancer – died at Sandringham in the early hours.,Image: 659601975, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Giddens / Avalon

: Queen Elizabeth II arrives to symbolically lead the lighting of the principal Jubilee beacon at Windsor Castle, as part of a chain of more than 3,500 flaming tributes to her 70-year-reign, on day one of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Over 3,000 towns, villages and cities throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, and each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries are lighting beacons to mark the Jubilee.,Image: 696553843, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Steve Parsons / Avalon

: Queen Elizabeth II waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government.,Image: 719993378, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jane Barlow / Avalon

: Angela Kelly At the State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Image: 724230159, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon

: Angela Kelly (PA to the Queen) at The State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Image: 724231647, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon

: Angela Kelly at The State Funeral of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,Image: 724232499, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Camera Press Rota, Model Release: no, Credit line: Mark Stewart / Avalon

: (170118) — DAVOS, Jan. 18, 2017 () — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2017.(/Xu Jinquan)(gl)

: NEWS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE. NO MERCHANDISING, ADVERTISING, SOUVENIRS, MEMORABILIA or COLOURABLY SIMILAR. NOT FOR USE AFTER 31 DECEMBER 2018 WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION FROM KENSINGTON PALACE. NO CROPPING. Publications are asked to credit the photograph to Alexi Lubomirski. The photograph must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. This official wedding photograph released by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows The Duke and Duchess in The Green Drawing Room, Windsor Castle, with (left-to-right): Back row: Master Jasper Dyer, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Prince of Wales, Ms. Doria Ragland, The Duke of Cambridge; middle row: Master Brian Mulroney, the Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II, the Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Miss Rylan Litt, Master John Mulroney; Front row: Miss Ivy Mulroney, Miss Florence van Cutsem, Miss Zalie Warren, Miss Remi Litt.