The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe
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‘Mr Collins,’ Her Majesty said calmly, ‘do you think you would be able to alter the casting on the drops of the emeralds?’ Harry agreed, so I asked how much the re-casting would cost. ‘Not much,’ was his response, so I asked again. Once again, his response was vague and he looked nervously towards Her Majesty, only for her to say, ‘Don’t look at me, Angela does the money’. Putting Mr Collins under pressure, I asked one final time, ‘Please can you give me an estimate, Mr Collins?’ and he finally quoted a price which was agreeable to everyone.
The pearls for the Vladimir Tiara are kept in numbered pouches and it can take nearly an hour to change them.
Mr Collins has been an integral part of our team over the years and in June 2000, The Queen had a special request for him – to design a special piece of jewellery for her mother, Queen Elizabeth, to mark her 100th birthday. Needless to say, he was thrilled to be asked, and when Mr Collins returned a couple of weeks later to discuss some ongoing restoration work, he told Her Majesty that he had, ‘come up with a lovely idea for your mum’s present’, producing a superbly designed brooch. It was a very unusual piece, handmade in 18-carat gold with a cabochon-cut centre of rock crystal and featuring a painstakingly fine hand-painted centenary rose set among 100 diamonds, to give the appearance that it is floating.
The Queen’s special handmade birthday gift for The Queen Mother.
The Queen was delighted. When I escorted Mr Collins out of the Palace that day, I thought it was important to point out that although it wasn’t a major issue, it was more correct to refer to members of the Royal Family by their full title, rather than ‘mum’. Mortified, he asked me to pass on his apologies and even informed me later that the next day he’d purchased a copy of the Debrett’s book on etiquette.
A few weeks later, the day came to present Her Majesty with the brooch, and upon his arrival, it was clear that Mr Collins had been carefully studying how one should supposedly behave around The Queen. He greeted Her Majesty and presented her with the magnificent fitted case in which the brooch sat and, having read somewhere that where possible, one should not turn their back on The Queen, he proceeded to walk away backwards. Unfortunately, Mr Collins failed to notice Linnet, one of Her Majesty’s corgis, lying on the floor behind him. He tripped over Linnet and ended up next to the dog, lying spread-eagled on the carpet. Terrified that he’d hurt one of The Queen’s dogs, Harry frantically rubbed Linnet’s chest, apologising profusely, but Her Majesty reassured Mr Collins and told him not to worry: it was not his fault as the corgis had a terrible habit of lying in the most awkward places.
From that point on, Mr Collins and I formed a fruitful working relationship which saw him tend to some of the most significant pieces in Her Majesty’s collection, including the alteration of the Vladimir Tiara and of the Countess of Wessex’s wedding tiara, which was recently redesigned for the State Banquet with President Trump. Mr Collins is truly an invaluable member of the team.
I have also had the privilege to work with various other jewellers, Swarovski Crystals and Mappin & Webb to name just a couple. The fourth of June 2013 was to be the sixtieth anniversary of Her Majesty’s Coronation and Mark Appleby, from Mappin & Webb, called me explaining that the company wanted to design a brooch to give to The Queen in honour of this special occasion. Mark and I discussed the idea and it was agreed that it should be an orchid brooch made from Waterford Crystal. I particularly liked the idea of using the crystal, as you would then be able to see the colour of The Queen’s outfit through it. The brooch consisted of four hand-cut Waterford Crystal orchid flowers surrounded by sixty-six diamonds, which would be attached to rose gold stamens. The brooch was lovely and Her Majesty wore it during the Irish State Visit at Windsor Castle, which was particularly fitting as Waterford Crystal is based in Ireland.
MY PRETTY
WOMAN MOMENT
By the year 2001, I had begun designing outfits for The Queen and I wanted to ensure that from then on Her Majesty always looked her best and was up-to-date on the latest trends. As part of my role as a designer, I was responsible for searching for another designer whose creations might be suitable for The Queen, as I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it all myself. Usually this is an enjoyable task, but on one occasion, things didn’t go as smoothly as I’d hoped.
On one of my first solo excursions, I was planning to visit some local designers, not far from Buckingham Palace. I dressed in smart-casual clothes, but comfortably, as anyone might do when they’re anticipating a morning of walking around the shops. The first shop I went into had a stale feel to it and the outfits in the window display seemed slightly old-fashioned. None the less, I was approached by a lady who smiled and asked if she could help. I explained that I’d come to have a look at their clothes and asked whether I could see the clothes on the rails to gain a better idea of the style and cut of their designs, as well as the finishing. As she agreed, I spotted a man at the back of the room who, even though he was in the middle of fitting someone, was staring at me as if I was the dirt on his shoe. He peered over the top of his black-rimmed glasses and condescendingly advised that the clothing was ‘couture, not retail’.
I was shocked by his rudeness and immediately turned to the woman who had greeted me and I said quietly, ‘I do know it’s couture, not retail, thank you. And he has just made a big mistake. Huge. I will be back to tell him who he missed designing for.’ In my mind I was Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman right then!
With that, I left the shop feeling humiliated and belittled. How rude of him to presume my status in such a way.
I made my way to the next shop, hoping for a more positive experience. I had been recommended to try Motcomb Street by one of The Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting as a good area to find designers, so I went into Stewart Parvin Couture. As I stepped inside, it felt different from the last place – bright and modern with beautiful outfits everywhere. Again, a lady met me with a beaming smile and I asked the same questions as before: whether they’d mind me looking at the designs, the cut and the finishing of their clothes. ‘Not at all, take your time,’ was the very different response, and I went along the rails freely, looking at all the outfits. It was immediately clear to me that this was not only the work of a designer but of an excellent tailor. I was so impressed that I asked if it would be possible to meet Mr Parvin and, sure enough, the lady offered me a seat while she went to fetch him.
I had to wait only ten minutes for Mr Parvin, during which time I kept looking towards a particular blue cocktail outfit with the most lovely harlequin multi-coloured gem buttons. In fact, I was engrossed in these buttons when a young man in a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt greeted me warmly and enthusiastically. I explained to Stewart (for that was who he was) that, having looked at his designs, I had my eye on the blue cocktail suit with diamanté buttons, but that I would need to take the piece away for a short while to show my employer. I promised to bring it back within a few hours. Bear in mind that, at this point, Stewart had no idea who I was or for whom I worked, but he agreed: he really was the warm, friendly person he appeared to be.
Two hours later, I returned with the outfit, which I had shown to The Queen and had received her approval on Stewart’s style. Stewart was there to greet me again and, after thanking him, I asked if he had a stockroom. Sure enough, he took me straight downstairs to show me, seemingly unfazed by my endless questions about his work. Three of his materials leaped out at me as being appropriate for Her Majesty – a blue fleck tweed among them. With these in mind, I asked Stewart if he would do some quick designs there and then for a very high-profile female customer. Once again, Stewart was happy to oblige and we spent some time sketching potential designs. Safe in the knowledge that Stewart was a talented, trustworthy, and kind person, I finally disclosed that these designs would be for Her Majesty The Queen, but that he must be discreet and keep everything confidential.
And that was that. Since then, Stewart and I have been working together for The Queen, and our friendship and professional relationship have gone from strength to strength. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we have known each other for over eighteen years. In 2007, Stewart was granted his Royal Warrant in recognition of his contribution to The Queen’s wardrobe. Little does that first designer know what he missed out on.
Happy times – Stewart and I collaborating together at Joel & Son. Look out for this material used in a cocktail dress to be worn in 2020.
Jackie and I working hard.
ALL IN A
DAY’S WORK
As my role evolved and became even more varied, I soon learned that there would be no ‘typical’ day for me, just as there is no ‘typical’ day in Her Majesty’s schedule, with its various engagements, Royal Tours and State Visits.
A couple of years ago, in 2017, a request from the Castle Administrator at Glamis Castle, Tommy Baxter, made its way to my desk in a handwritten letter from Angus, Scotland. Tommy was looking to organise an exhibition to mark the eightieth anniversary of King George VI’s Coronation and was wondering if The Queen would be willing to loan The Queen Mother’s wedding dress, her Coronation dress and Coronation robe for display, as well as the Coronation dresses, robes and coronets of Their Royal Highnesses The Princess Elizabeth and The Princess Margaret. Tommy mentioned that he thought it was unlikely: he had already been in touch with a member of the Royal Household and been offered two paintings for the exhibition, but no outfits.
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