Unlike the American First Lady Melania Trump , Queen Elizabeth always carries a handbag, dangling from her left arm, wherever she may go. So, why does one of the most important women in the world carry a handbag with her during public functions, and what exactly does she put into her bag?
The Queen does not have or need a passport. She doesn’t require keys to the palace, as she has others who open the door for her and take care of such things. Instead, royal biographers state that in her bag, the Queen of England has a tube of her favorite Clarins lipstick, in a shade that she had commissioned the French beauty manufacturer to specifically match her ceremonial robes, along with a mirror. She also tucks in a “crisply folded” £5 note, for Sunday church services.
According to the Telegraph , the Queen uses her purse to do more than carry her favorite lipstick or donation money. She uses it as a signal to her staff.
For example, if she places her purse on the table, this indicates she is ready to leave in five minutes. If she places her purse on the floor, this means her lady-in-waiting best come quickly, as she is not happy with the conversation she is currently having. This may be an important signal for President Donald Trump, as he plans to visit the Queen in the upcoming few months. He surely doesn’t want to see her handbag on the floor!
Her Royal Majesty has over 200 Launer bags , mostly in two styles: the appropriately named Royale style, and the black patient Traviata. She prefers this style as the handles are extra long, and she can easily shake someone’s hand without moving around her handbag.
Uh oh! Queen Elizabeth was reported to the police for a traffic violation: https://t.co/EjxAxpdEdu
— InStyle (@InStyle) July 3, 2017
According to royal biographer Sally Bedall Smith, her handbag has a portable hook, so that she can hang it “discreetly” under a table. The author of Elizabeth the Queen: The Woman Behind The Throne , states that after a meal, the Queen will do something that etiquette experts say is quite gauche!
“At the end of a luncheon or a dinner, even a banquet set with silver gilt and antique porcelain, she has the somewhat outré habit of opening her bag, pulling out a compact and reapplying her lipstick.”
The Queen also has a mobile phone, which is presumably in her purse. She often speaks to her grandchildren on her cell. What may be most endearing is that writer Phil Dampier claims that the Queen, like any other mother or grandmother, carries around photos of her family, as well as good luck trinkets. Her bag is a signal, as well as a vehicle to carry around family memories.
Queen Elizabeth II is getting a 78% raise from the government https://t.co/ZmSgdajuaB pic.twitter.com/rijTIr8bTW
— CNN (@CNN) June 27, 2017
The Inquisitr previously determined that Kate Middleton, who is married to Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Prince William, utilizes the old Toastmasters’ trick and carries a clutch to feel secure when she is out in public. By holding onto a clutch, she has a place to elegantly place her hands. In addition, holding a clutch most likely helps keep royal protocol and helps prevent her from feeling that it is necessary to reach out and shake everyone’s hand. But, what is in her handbag is still yet to be revealed!
What do you think of the contents of Queen Elizabeth’s handbag? Were you surprised?
[Featured Image by Andrew Winning/WPA Pool/Getty Images]
