Angela Kelly, QEII’s dresser, conned her way into a grace-and-favor royal home

Longtime readers and longtime royal-watchers are well aware of Angela Kelly’s history of problematic and ridiculous behavior. Kelly – nicknamed AK-47 – was Queen Elizabeth II’s dresser and one of her closest friends. Kelly moved into Windsor Castle during the pandemic, and Kelly basically appointed herself gatekeeper to the Queen and her jewelry. In recent years, Kelly was also at the center of the years-long “Tiara-gate” mess, wherein Kelly repeatedly smeared a blood prince and his wife (Harry and Meghan) over the fact that Harry went over Kelly’s head to the Queen to complain about Kelly’s treatment of Meghan. Kelly repeatedly lied about both Harry and Meghan in the media and everyone knows it. Now it looks like she managed to talk QEII into giving her a retirement home on the Royal Windsor estate.

One of the Queen’s most trusted confidantes is set to be allowed to stay on in her grace-and-favour home at Windsor – thanks to the Queen herself. Angela Kelly, a docker’s daughter from Liverpool, began work as an Assistant Dresser at the Royal Household before becoming indispensable to the Monarch. Her reward was a grace-and-favour home a short walk from Windsor Castle.

Staff who work for the Queen typically would have only a month’s notice after the end of her reign before they would either be redeployed to another Royal household or look for alternative employment. But now it seems that the Queen had given her authority for Ms Kelly to stay in her grace-and-favour home after her death.

So favoured was she by the late Monarch that Ms Kelly was also granted extraordinary permission to secure a three-book deal. Two of those memoirs have been published and another is set to be released. An insider said: ‘The Queen was very clear that she was close to Angela and wanted to look after her people.’

Ms Kelly who is said to want to spend some time in America now the Queen has died, was originally hired for her fashion expertise. But she soon developed a close bond with the Monarch. As the Queen’s mobility failed, Palace sources say that Ms Kelly could often be found sitting with the Queen, making her laugh and filling Her Majesty in on the latest plot twists of television soap operas. Latterly, as the Queen’s number of public appearances decreased in line with her ability to move around in comfort, it was Ms Kelly who sat with the Queen at Windsor.

One source says: ‘The Prince of Wales came in one day to see his mother and was surprised that Angela had her own rooms there where she would watch the television rather loudly.’

As time went on, Ms Kelly took on more of a lady-in-waiting role, sources say. She would fetch and carry and even advise.

[From The Daily Mail]

I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love it if King Charles III kicked her ass out of the grace-and-favor home she conned her way into. Charles reportedly was not a fan of Kelly either – no one liked her except QEII – and it feels like it’s in the king’s discretion to go back on his mother’s promise. Especially given that it’s very likely Kelly manipulated an elderly woman. I also wonder if Kelly conned her way into some kind of monetary bequeathment in QEII’s will. None of this is on the top of King Charles’s agenda, but I would really love to see him push out all of his mother’s terrible helpers and courtiers.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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38 Responses to “Angela Kelly, QEII’s dresser, conned her way into a grace-and-favor royal home”

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  1. ThatsNotOkay says:

    THAT woman was hired for her style??!

    • Mary says:

      LOL, no she was not. It is my recollection that she was poached from an embassy or ambassador”s residence abroad and started working for Liz as a maid. She then became an assistant dresser.

  2. Scorpion says:

    To keep her quiet too no doubt.

  3. Noki says:

    I was surprised to read she was from Liverpool. I thought the aristos only give each other the cushy jobs.

    • Talia says:

      That’s only the upmarket jobs (like lady in waiting). ‘Dresser’ is basically a lady’s (ladies’?) maid – think O’Brien in Downton Abbey. It’s why she gets/got criticised for acting like a friend of the Queen’s – she’s not meant to be more than discreet staff.

  4. Zapp Brannigan says:

    Where’s the bullying investigation into this snot? She punches out a co-worker after accusing her of having an affair with the married man and co-worker that Kelly was already having an affair with, and it’s all hunky dory to behave like that in the workplace?

  5. Steph says:

    Fashion sense…. Where?

  6. Snuffles says:

    I was just wondering what would become of AK47.

    “I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love it if King Charles III kicked her ass out of the grace-and-favor home she conned her way into.”

    Oh I think it WILL happen. Her ass will be out within a year. Ain’t no way Charles is supporting this witch for the rest of her life.

    • Noki says:

      Charles has no love and loyalty to his own siblings and SON, why on earth should he spare this witch.

    • Blujfly says:

      If he doesn’t, it’s because he is scared of her media connections. That’s the only explanation.

    • Becks1 says:

      I think it will happen, but quietly and in a year or so. She’ll retire to the countryside or something, when no one is really paying attention.

      • Snuffles says:

        Charles has a lot of staff to put out to pasture as well as numerous leaching cousins. I wonder how fast they will be kicked to the curb.

    • C-Shell says:

      Even if she has the ability to spill to her media connections, this hag would clearly be happy to sign an NDA and walk away for the right price. I think it will happen in due course. No way does Charles want this old bat hanging around Windsor. She was a useful tool for William to beat up on H&M, but I doubt he’s got any loyalty for her. I love the idea that Charles would send in his minions to make sure she returns any loot she’s spirited out of the Queen’s belongings.

  7. Blujfly says:

    I wouldn’t be surprised for an instant if this woman was put up for a position in the Royal household by the papers from day 1, and the Queen’s isolation, loneliness and inability to connect with her children created the perfect opportunity for a Scouse grifter to take advantage. It also sounds like she was selected and liked by Philip, whose judgment was not always great. The fashion bit is laughable – the Queen dressed fashionably and went with trends well into the 80s and 90s before Kelly came on the scene. The god boring coat dresses and solely monochromatic attire came with Kelly, who also somehow managed to get credit for making the dresses, which she almost assuredly did not actually sew. Ke

    • windyriver says:

      IIRC from her book, AK was the housekeeper for the British ambassador in Germany, and met TQ and Philip when they stayed there. Her marriage was over, she had kids, and wanted to move back to England. Sounds like she did her best to cultivate a relationship during their visit, but was actually contacted afterwards by TQ’s dresser’s staff (she had a background in dressmaking from her mother), was interviewed by them (and possibly a couple of TQ’s ladies in waiting?) and came in as one of the assistant dressers. Over the years she worked her way up. She’s been there since the 90’s, at least 25 years.

  8. Cel2495 says:

    She was hired for her fashion sense ?!! lol … no sense at all from where I’m standing 😂

  9. equality says:

    No, as an insider she can’t write “tell-all” books without it being a slap in the face to the Queen. It’s just not done. I bet she’ll be doing interviews all over the place also like Di’s former butler. And it will all be fine for her but not for H&M.

  10. Jais says:

    I’m sorry but the queen had really bad judgment if this is who she kept close. She seems like a deeply unpleasant person.

    • Becks1 says:

      She seems like a very manipulative person, who knew just want to say and do to keep her position. My guess is she was one way with the queen and a different way with everyone else, and by the time she really showed her true colors she was “indispensable” to the queen.

  11. tuille says:

    AK has terrible fashion sense and I blame her for the bad millinery choices. She also put her monarch into some very unflattering colors (bright yellows & oranges) which no qualified stylist would have used for anyone with QE’s coloring.

    • Julaine says:

      I agree that the orange and the hideous neon green that she dressed the Queen were bad mistakes but we can’t blame AK for the yellow. Yellow was the Queen’s favorite color and she often wore it for many important occasions.

  12. tuille says:

    Amen!

  13. Digital Unicorn says:

    I’d check her bags on the way out just in case she hasn’t helped herself to some bling.

    There are reasons why she is hated by both the family and the household staff.

  14. Wendy says:

    “Fashion expertise”. Lady’s got blue eyeliner and fuschia lips like she’s off to 80’s night at the local, but sure. Expertise. Bless their lil hearts.

  15. Eurydice says:

    It happens a lot. The family lets somebody else take on the day-to-day companionship for an elderly relative and then they’re surprised when they get cut out of the will. Even if AK is a total poisonous rat, it’s still 25 years of intimacy and deserves more than just “you’ve got 30 days to find a new job,” which I think is kind of cold, in general.

  16. Moira's Rose's Garden says:

    So she gets a house, but the Sussexes got a run down shack that they had to rehab and pay for out of their own pockets? Do I have that straight?

    F…this family.

  17. Lizzie Bathory says:

    Weirdly, I expect the old battleax will get to keep her accommodations. Charles is a typical bully in that he’s a coward who only defers to other bullies. It’s why he lets William rage at him. And if stories of “AK-47” are to be believed, I’d bet King Sink-Thrower would prefer to leave her alone. There are plenty of less aggressive staff to bare one’s teeth at in public.

    I still can’t get over Camilla’s nervous expression when she saw Charles getting exasperated. Really makes me wonder about her focus on domestic violence charities.

  18. Concern Fae says:

    Angela Kelly is the worst, but retiring to a grace and favor cottage is a fairly normal thing. I can never tell with these articles whether something is truly outrageous or just something completely normal they are pretending is horrible. It could also be that Kelly is getting a house and not one of the cottages. Think the Dower House vs the little house the Bates’ moved to on Downton. So much hidden in this article.

    I read a bunch of royal bios back in the Diana days. Royal staff retiring to grace and favor cottages was talked about. IIRC Charles’ old nanny lived on the Windsor grounds and he would go visit her.

    Presumably the staff does have to move on, but I wonder about the retirees. If it’s like everything else, the next monarch may have to sign off on their staying. Normally, it wouldn’t even be a question.

    It would be like Charles to kick out elderly pensioners who made their retirement planning with the promise of a home in mind. They aren’t paid what they would be working for a different wealthy family. He probably wants to rent them at market rate. He’ll wonder why everyone is late with their long commutes and why they can’t find any help. Is this article paving the way for that? Outrage over Kelly hiding that longtime workers are getting shafted?

    • Green girl says:

      Agreed. I thought the grace and favor homes were a thing, so was confused why this was an issue regarding AK.

      This would look horrible for Charles if he kicks her out especially with the housing crisis. just think of the headlines! It could also push her to do interviews and write another book to earn money. In Charles shoes I wouldn’t want to deal with that.

      • Concern Fae says:

        IIRC getting kicked out of your grace and favor retirement cottage for talking to the media about the RF, except for bland adoring sound bites at momentous occasions, was the older generations version of the NDA.

        On the other hand, all the royal servants growing old together in a little neighborhood of grace and favor cottages would make an excellent sitcom. BBC or ITV, please.

  19. Amy Bee says:

    She’s one of the people that Harry was concerned about being around his grandmother.

  20. TheOriginalMia says:

    Why should she be allowed to live out her days on Windsor estate when she will not be serving any of the royals? Charles can and should boot her ass. She’s a vile woman, who will continue to leak to the tabloids. Best to dry up her contacts and send her on her way. Who’s going to challenge Charles about her? No one. Because no one likes her.

  21. Julia K says:

    Camilla will not let Angela get away with calling the shots about access to jewelry etc. Her days are numbered.

  22. Annalise says:

    What is this woman’s deal? As in, is she married? Divorced? Never married? Any exes to speak of?? Family?? Pets?? Do we know ANYTHING about this b*tch?? other than she a racist sycophant who tried to throw down with another female palace employee over a pastry chef with whom they were both banging. And that after the Queen heard an EXTREMELY edited version of the incident, encouraged Kelly not to fraternize with “the help”. Oh and her racist nastiness towards Meghan during Tiara Gate. Someone like this b*tch, what do you want to bet she treated Meghan like Meghan was going to try and STEAL a tiara??? She probably made a big show of watching Meghan like a hawk. C*nt. 🤮🤮🤮
    It certainly seems that this woman had absolutely NO life to speak of outside of the palace. I’d like to think that this woman is just so insufferable that no one would have her, but I think the reality is much much sadder. She probably CHOSE to have a life totally, utterly devoted to the Queen, at the expense of her own existence, she existed merely to serve the queen. What will she do now? Her entire identity sprung from her role to the queen……. I could totally see her sniffing at being any other royal woman’s dressmaker too, having done so for the QUEEN 🤮🤮🤮

  23. j says:

    The only people QE should be concerned with taking care of are the citizens of England. Not surprising they are not on her list. This woman needs to pay people to talk about TV shows with her and keep her company? I love my grandma too, but she shouldn’t be the head of state of any countries for this exact reason.