The Other Side of the Coin

The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe

By: Angela Kelly

Narrated by: Angela Kelly

Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

When Angela Kelly and The Queen are together, laughter echoes through the corridors of Buckingham Palace. Angela has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for 25 years, initially as Her Majesty’s Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty’s Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe, and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen.

In The Other Side of the Coin, The Queen has personally given Angela her blessing to share their extraordinary bond with the world. Whether it’s preparing for a formal occasion or brightening Her Majesty’s day with a playful joke, Angela’s priority is to serve and support. Sharing charming anecdotes of their time spent together, this revealing book provides memorable insights into what it’s like to work closely with The Queen, to curate her wardrobe and to discover a true and lasting connection along the way.

"The book documents the unique working relationship between Her Majesty The Queen and the woman who has been her Personal Assistant and Senior Dresser for more than two decades: Angela Kelly. It gives a rare insight into the demands of the job of supporting the Monarch, and we gain privileged insight into a successful working relationship, characterized by humor, creativity, hard work, and a mutual commitment to service and duty. Angela is a talented and inspiring woman, who has captured the highlights of her long career with The Queen for us all to share." (Samantha Cohen, Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen (2011 - 2018)

"For the nearly seven decades of her reign, Her Majesty The Queen has used clothing to create a powerful visual identity that transcends fashion and has made her perhaps the most readily identifiable person on the planet. Angela Kelly, building on the work of the great designers and milliners who have worked with Her Majesty through the years - including couturiers Sir Norman Hartnell, Sir Hardy Amies, and Ian Thomas, and milliners such as Simone Mirman and Freddy Fox - brings her own imagination to bear on an iconic ‘uniform’ that suggests continuity and tradition, and ensures that the wearer is always the most visible person in a room or a crowd." (Anna Wintour, Vogue)

©2019 Angela Kelly (P)2019 HarperAudio

Read the book!

No intonation. It’s a dry and boring listen. Hopefully the book reads better than the author. Sadly dull.

Perhaps kindle would be better for this one.

This might have been a good book. But I could not listen anymore. Leave the narration to a professional.
Not all writers can be good narrators

Light and enjoyable for Anglophiles

Light and interesting book. It was very pleasant to hear about the queen’s wardrobe. She has become much more chic and fashionable in her later years and it’s clear that Angela Kelly is the reason. Good for her!

Interesting info

Too bad there's no pdf download with the audio version so we can see the pictures! if you're interested in The Queen's style and why things are the way they are in how she dresses and presents herself, this is an interesting book. Ms Kelly isn't a natural reader, but she did OK. It helped to adjust the speed a bit faster...

Light in Content; Easy listen

Light in content, but interesting. Many nights I fall asleep while listening to a book and this was a good one for that purpose. The author has a gentle, yet monotone voice that kept my mind in the story, not on the days worries. The story was interesting 'enough.'

amazing book

I absolutely loved this book. It was so well read. The details about working for her magesty were amazing. I really enjoyed it a lot. Angela Kelly did a great job reading it. I loved it.

Magnificent!

It was such a pleasure to listen to this audible book. There was no trashing of the Queen, no dirty secrets, no scandals, etc. The book is lovely in every way. The author gives you a look in to what is a good work relationship with being the Queen's dresser and designer. I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

American admiration

I am an American, and have no interest in Charles, Camilla, Harry or Meghan or any of the royal family. But Queen Elizabeth is a glorious exception. She lived a life of constancy and faithfulness, comporting herself in a manner worthy of the greatness of her position. I have always admired her and wished to know more about the details of her daily life when not actually presenting herself to her public.

Listening to this book, and the lovely voice of its author, was entirely pleasurable and confirmed my suspicion that, behind the scenes, this great woman comported herself with compassion, tolerance and intelligence.

I do wish I could see photos that might be in the hard book.

Very interesting

A good light read with a cup of tea. A women who grew in her art with as much passion,duty & service to the woman she worked for.

Thank You, Angela!

Angela's storytelling is refreshing and compelling. I so admire her relationship with the Queen, her creative ability and styling. Angela is a real treasure to the British Monarchy and I sense that she made the Queen's life happy.