ROYAL FAMILY NEWSQueen Elizabeth's Former Assistant Claims the Royals Are a 'Normal, Loving Family' Despite Their Public Scandals
Queen Elizabeth's former assistant Angela Kelly revealed the royals are like any other 'normal' family.
April 7 2026, Published 12:05 p.m. ET
The late Queen Elizabeth's former assistant and royal dresser revealed The Firm is simply like any other regular family — just with a few palaces and Crown Jewels under their belt.
Angela Kelly — who was the monarch's right hand woman for almost three decades — spoke to Vanity Fair about what the royal family was really like behind closed doors.
Angela Kelly Says the Queen Was a 'Really Cool Granny'
Queen Elizabeth died in 2022 at the age of 96.
“It was just a normal loving family, to be quite honest," Kelly recalled. "If the [Prince Philip], or whoever was cooking, burnt the burgers she’d just laugh. As long as they had extra to put back on, and as long as all the family were fed and watered, that was all right. The Queen was just full of energy and a really cool granny, to be honest."
The fashion designer, 68, worked for the Queen from 1993 until her death in September 2022.
Queen Elizabeth was a grandmother to a medley of grandkids.
Kelly noted how the sovereign adored being a grandmother and would shower her grandkids with so much love and affection, especially during Easter holidays.
"The family would visit and she loved being granny. Her Majesty took her great-grandchildren out riding or walking. She did barbecues and fun things and she always washed the dishes, even when she was entertaining the prime minister," Kelly recalled.
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Queen Elizebeth Loved to Sing Behind Closed Doors
Queen Elizabeth loved to have a good time.
The Queen also loved to belt out a tune in private.
"Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn’t. I’d get carried away and be dancing all around her like I was at a disco, and the Queen would tell me to 'move over' because I can’t sing, and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the Queen so relaxed," Kelly gushed.
But Kelly's close relationship with the monarch allegedly caused ire and envy from other staff members, including Prince Harry, 41, who previously slammed Kelly in his 2023 memoir, Spare.
Scandals Plagued the Royal Family for Years
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family in 2020.
Despite the almost picture-perfect Windsor clan seemingly like an ordinary family behind the scenes, their public persona has taken quite a hit in the last few years.
In 2020, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, left the monarchy and headed to California as they felt a lack of support from them.
The Queen's favorite son, the former Prince Andrew, also brought shame to the family as his ties to Jeffrey Epstein effectively led to him being arrested on suspicion of misconduct in February.
