Queen Elizabeth Used to Send Subtle—and Sometimes Brutal—Secret Messages with Her Handbag

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 11 July 2024

Queen Elizabeth left us nearly two years ago, but her legend—and the legend of her infamous handbag—remains. Rarely was Her late Majesty not carrying one of her famous handbags, and, if you’ll remember, those little bags carried big messages, and sent secret signals to those around her—some of which were brutal, The Mirror reports.

“Queen Elizabeth had an impressive handbag collection, but her affinity for the accessory went beyond simple fashion, helping her deliver subtle yet cutting messages,” the outlet writes.

The late Queen’s classic Launer purses were a particular favorite, and “as well as finishing off her classic, immaculately put-together look, Queen Elizabeth wielded her signature bags to great effect, using them to let those around her know exactly how she felt a conversation was going,” according to The Mirror.

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Royal historian Hugo Vickers once revealed that if the Queen shifted her bag from one hand to the other, this showed that she was ready for her current conversation to end. Even worse? “If she placed her bag on the table, then this meant she was ready to exit an event within the next five minutes,” The Mirror reports.

The outlet continued, adding “As a woman who was reportedly rather shy by nature, no doubt the endless conversations she had over the years could feel quite wearisome at times, leaving her longing for solitude with her beloved corgis. And, of course, like all of us, Her Majesty would have undoubtedly encountered a few awkward encounters in her time.” Outside of her handbag signals, if the late Queen was seen beginning to twist her Welsh gold wedding ring, her ladies-in-waiting apparently knew that immediate action was required, with this gesture indicating a conversation needed to end as soon as possible.

These days, “it’s unclear whether or not other royals have their own personal codes,” The Mirror writes. It has been suggested, though, that the Princess of Wales has followed Her late Majesty’s lead when it comes to letting her bag do the talking: Kate reportedly dodges uncomfortable handshakes by attending events with a clutch, which she holds with both hands.

Kate Middleton at Royal Ascot 2019 — Kate, seen here at Royal Ascot in 2019, has taken a page out of Queen Elizabeth's book when it comes to purses.

“When the [then] Duchess is at an event, she holds her bag in front of her in both hands, when shaking hands might be awkward,” royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told Good Housekeeping. Etiquette coach William Hanson told The Daily Express that “By holding something like her clutch bag, it is perhaps giving her an ‘excuse’ to not extend her hand to everyone,” he said. “She can’t shake the hands of everyone she meets—the Duchess [now Princess] would be there all day!”

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.