Queen's friendship with Angela Kelly 'crossed the line as Palace aides were uncomfortable with their dynamic'

Ben McCaffrey
Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:08:38 +0000

Buckingham Palace aides felt Angela Kelly's friendship with the late Queen "crossed a line," it has been claimed.

Senior aides felt the dresser from Liverpool was too close to the monarch as they felt she was "technically a servant".

Ms Kelly, 68, worked with Queen Elizabeth II for almost 30 years, developing a strong bond with the monarch.

Despite this, the royal dresser is said to have come under fire from some courtiers, who nicknamed her "AK47", according to Vanity Fair.

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"Angela crossed a line. She was technically a servant, but she was so much more than that," a source told the outlet.

"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.

"Private secretaries fell foul of Angela—she could make or break your palace career because she had the Queen’s ear."

Ms Kelly started at the Palace as an Assistant Dresser in 1994, quickly rising to one of Elizabeth's most trusted aides. Her eventual title became Her Majesty’s personal assistant, adviser, and curator.

But the pair quickly developed a close companionship built on shared interests, with Ms Kelly once noting: "We are two typical women. We discuss clothes, make-up, jewellery."

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Ms Kelly detailed how she developed a relationship beyond professional duties with the late Queen, describing the "great banter between us".

Elizabeth increasingly trusted her dresser's judgement on fashion issues, eventually granting her complete creative freedom when assembling outfits for official engagements.

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She gave an emotional tribute to the monarch, describing Elizabeth as "my best friend and I miss her every day."

"The queen was committed to doing her duty to the very end," she told the outlet. "Her Majesty never let anyone down.

"Even when she felt unwell, Her Majesty would not want anyone to know.

"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 honour to serve the queen until the very end."

The former dresser, who now resides in Sheffield, remained at the Queen's side until her death on 8 September 2022.