Royal Handbags: Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and Kate Middleton Sent Secret Messages With Their Purses
One of the most inconspicuous accessories for women in the royal family is their handbag. Outsiders would believe a purse is to hold accessories needed during a royal event. However, there is a secret handbag code that dominates the royal family, and it’s used to send messages and more.
Handbags are more than an accessory within the royal family
For the general public, handbags are utilized to carry personal items when away from home. It’s assumed that this remains the rule for women within the royal family.
However that is not always the case. For royal women, handbags are an essential part of their public wardrobes.
For instance, when a royal is at a public appearance, their purses are always held in their left hand. This leaves the right hand free to shake hands.
Kate Middleton also uses a trick when greeting others may be inappropriate. In those cases, she holds her purse with two hands.
Queen Elizabeth famously utilized her handbag to send messages to her staff. The late monarch silently used her purse to tell her staff what she wanted in the moment.
When Elizabeth wanted to leave a dinner, she set her handbag atop the table. While speaking to someone, she famously switched her purse to her other hand, sending a signal she wanted the conversation to end.
Princess Diana also used her handbag as a way to hide her cleavage when entering and exiting a vehicle. “We used to laugh when we designed what she called her ‘cleavage bags,’” handbag designer Anya Hindmarch said in an interview with The Telegraph.
What do royal women typically carry in their handbags?
Per The Mirror, Kate Middleton carries the same essentials as non-royals do in their purses. But keeping with her minimalist style, she pares these down.
These essentials are reportedly blotting paper, for taking any excess shine off of her face, a compact, lip balm, and a handkerchief. It’s unlikely Kate would need anything other than those items for an official royal engagement.
Queen Elizabeth’s beloved Launer London purse was always hanging from the crook of her elbow. She had this accessory in many colors to coordinate with all of her vivid-toned outfits.
People reported in 2021 that the monarch typically carried around a number of items in her bag. These included a handkerchief, a pen, eyeglass case, lipstick, hand cream, and a small box of mints.
One designer handbag was so beloved by Princess Diana it was named after the royal
The Chouchou bag was designed by Gianfranco Ferré in 1994. It was later renamed Princesse before its final incarnation as the Lady Dior purse.
Per the Dior website, Diana visited Paris in September 1995, and was offered a Dior bag to use during her various outings. At that time, the Chouchou was not yet on sale, and Diana was one of the first people to be photographed holding the elegant black purse.
Diana reportedly asked the design house to make her a second version, in blue, to match her eyes. The bag was subsequently renamed the Lady Dior in 1996 and it remains synonymous with the Princess of Wales to this day.
Therefore, royal purses hold a lot more than just essentials. The have become necessary to how the royal family operates and is publicly viewed, and in the case of Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, are a legacy left behind.
