The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

I received this book as a present and enjoyed it so much that I got one for a friend. The author, of humble origin, struck up a real friendship with the Queen who is portrayed as a down-to-earth humble lady. Written with the blessing of the Queen, the book gives insight until all that is entailed to 'dress the Queen.' The illustrations of fabrics, designs, and sketches are fascinating. I would recommend this to all who love our gracious (and very funny, by the way) Queen.

If you are a monarchist or a royalty follower, this is a fascinating book. Obviously, sanctioned by the Queen, it doesn't contain gossip or family secrets, but it is an interesting look into the royal household. As fans of the Queen's both my wife and I enjoyed it.

The photographs are beautiful. There are interesting anecdotes which reveal nice things about the Queen’s personality. The information about her daily schedule and change of clothing makes one feel sorry for her. There is entirely too much self congratulation on part of the author. It is a pity that Marion Crawford who spoke more about the little princesses than about herself was condemned for her book rather than celebrated!

Love this book. The pictures of the Queen’s clothes, hats, regalia, jewels, crowns are fabulous. Her stories of how things look so seamless but actually take a lot of work is fascinating. My only criticism would be that I wish the print was slightly larger and there is a picture of the Queen and a man I find extremely distasteful that I wish I could remove from the page without major damage. It almost ruined the book for me once I discovered it. It was a shock to turn the page and there he was.

This is such a warmly written book . The audio version was so enjoyable that I just had to have the book. Highly recommend. It’s an easy read with interesting details. Angela Kelly’s talent is obvious just looking at the Queen . It’s also a great gift.