Here's Why The Queen Has An Official Royal Shoe-Wearer
There is so much more to royal fashion than just looking good and wearing pricey designer pieces. The outfits worn by princes, princesses, and duchesses are carefully chosen to (no pun intended) suit each occasion. Consider the meaning behind the ensemble that Queen Elizabeth wore to Prince Philip's funeral in April. Or the fact that Meghan Markle's wardrobe scandalized the royals at times. And that's not all.
This kind of fine-tuned focus on outfits, and extreme attention to detail, is also why the royals have a few tricks up their (literal) sleeves when it comes to their clothing. You may have heard that the queen has lead curtain weights sewn into the hems of her dresses, per the Daily Mail, to keep them from flying up in the wind. Meanwhile, according to Harper's Bazaar, Meghan and Kate Middleton apparently choose undergarments that create static to make their skirts purposefully clingy. The monarch also has a very good reason for wearing bright colors — so that people can easily spot her. And does something quite specific with her shoes. It might seem weird if it was anyone other than the queen.
Yep, Queen Elizabeth has a shoe-wearer and has for many years. Okay, that still seems a bit strange. Well, scroll down to find out why!
Queen Elizabeth has someone wear in her shoes for this reason
Queen Elizabeth is very busy and spends a great deal of time attending public appearances and visiting organizations. Because of that, she's on her feet a lot. As royal dress designer Stewart Parvin told The Evening Standard, "The shoes have to be immediately comfortable... she does get someone to wear them. The Queen can never say 'I'm uncomfortable, I can't walk any more.' She has the right to have someone wear them in." Huh!
That's right, the queen has someone who wears her shoes before she does. That person is the monarch's dresser, Angela Kelly, who wrote a book called "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser, and The Wardrobe." "As has been reported a lot in the press, a flunky wears in Her Majesty's shoes to ensure that they are comfortable and that she is always good to go," Kelly explained in her book (via Marie Claire). "And yes, I am that flunky."
Kelly also noted that "The Queen has very little time to herself and not time to wear in her own shoes and as we share the same shoe size it makes the most sense this way." As Marie Claire reported, Kelly worked for the monarch for 25 years, and she, "apparently gave Kelly permission" to write her book. Well, who wouldn't want someone to make their shoes all nice and comfy for them ... as long as they don't have stinky feet!