EVEN though The Queen boasts an impressive jewellery collection that us mere mortals can only ever dream of, we can’t imagine Her Majesty gets the opportunity to wear her tiaras on an everyday basis.
Well to stop her diamonds from gathering dust, The Queen‘s royal dresser Angela Kelly has revealed her unusual method for keeping them clean and sparkly – and it involves raiding the drink cabinet.
The Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly has revealed Her Majesty’s diamonds are soaked in gin to keep them sparkling
In her newtell-all book The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe, Her Majesty’s confidante and stylist has revealed the secrets behind her iconic wardrobe.
Before the book was released last week, the Daily Mail‘s royal correspondent Rebecca English described how Angela uses a spirit to clean The Queen’s jewels.
She wrote: “Gin and water are handy for giving the royal diamonds a little extra sparkle.”
And then if that doesn’t work well enough, Angela then uses washing liquid to restore their shine.
According to Chemistry World editor Ben Vasler, the high alcohol content dissolves dust and grease which can make diamonds look dull over time.
Recommending soaking diamonds in either vodka or gin, he told Femail that spirits can clean sapphires, emeralds and rubies but would damage pearls.
Angela, 51, who has served at Buckingham Palace since 1994, holds the positions of Personal Advisor and Curator (The Queens Jewellery, Insignias and Wardrobe) and In-house Designer.
Despite being a current member of the royal household, she has been given “extraordinary permission” to publish details of her “working relationship” with the Queen.
Ahead of the book’s release, Angela also discussed the extraordinary measures she has to take to avoid The Queen’s Ascot outfits being leaked as punters spend thousands guessing what colour she will wear.
In more Royal Family news, The Queen’s personal dresser once attached a maid over her rumoured fling with a pastry chef.
And Kate Middleton and Prince William told friends about their engagement before letting The Queen know.
Plus The Queen held a service at Sandringham after staff complained it was haunted, a royal biographer has claimed.
