What is in the Queen's Handbag?

[PrincessKaimi]

The voicemail prank story is hilarious. It's good to see such closeness between QE and her grandsons, must make her very happy.

 

[PrincessKaimi]

Has this song about the Queen's purse been posted before? I don't recall seeing it - hope it's not a duplicate:

YouTube - Singer/Songwriter Terry McLeish - The Queen's Purse

 

[Renata4711]

After her triumph in the Republic of Ireland, she should always carry a shamrock in ther handbag....

 

[Warren]

Lipstick, a crisply folded £10 note and a portable hook: The secrets of the Queen's handbag revealed | Mail Online

For years the question of whether or not the Queen carries cash in her handbag has been debated and deliberated.
And after much speculation it has finally been revealed that alongside her must-have lippy and compact mirror she does carry a 'precisely' folded £5 or £10 note - but only to donate to the church on Sundays.

That is according to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, who has revealed the secrets inside Her Majesty's bag in her new book, Elizabeth the Queen: The Woman Behind The Throne. Speaking to The Lady magazine the author said the monarch's handbag usually contains every day items like reading glasses, a fountain pen and mint lozenges.

It was revealed she is also known to carry a portable hook to hang her bag discretely under tables.Jean Willis, one of the Queen's cousins is quoted in the magazine as saying 'I watched the Queen open her handbag and remove a white suction cup and discretely spit into it.'The Queen then attached the cup to the underside of the of the table. The cup had a hook on it, and she attached her handbag to it.'

But according to Mrs Bedell Smith the most important items in her bag are a small mirror and lipstick, which she is said to apply even when sat at the dinner table. She writes 'At the end of a luncheon or a dinner, even a banquet set with silver gilt and antique porcelain, she has the somewhat outre habit of opening her bag, pulling out a compact and reapplying her lipstick.'

 

[Rocketmom]

I think she got one from Obama. I hope she hasn't given it to one of her grandchildren!

Obama gave her one with his own speechs on it.. I doubt she spends a lot of time listening to that!

 

[mammacats]

I have always found it mildly amusing that she lives in a palace so big she carries a purse with her from room to room when she is at home. Or was that just a figment of Hollywood imagination? The phone message prank was hilarious. I wish I could appologize to her on behalf of most of my fellow Americans for the ignorant behaviour of our President when he visits England. Most of us would have better sense than to gift her with an ipod with speeches on it.

One more thought, those hooks have been available for sale in this country for years now. They prevent the problem of what to do with your nice expensive purse when you don't want to put it on the filthy floor.

 

[DCVO]

Well she works as well as lives in the palace, and it would be unprofessional to walk back to her living quarters between meetings to freshen up her lipstick. And having a footman or whatever go fetch it to her would be... gauche. If you forget on accident once, that's fine, but to send off for your lipstick multiple times a day would be a fast track to a bad rep. Particularly when the solution is as easy as 'take your purse with you to the business suite.'

 

[Duchess of Durham]

Obama gave her one with his own speechs on it.. I doubt she spends a lot of time listening to that!

Seriously! Do other world leaders give gifts with stuff like their speeches too to each other?

 

[Osipi]

Seriously! Do other world leaders give gifts with stuff like their speeches too to each other?

Maybe Obama's purpose for uploading his speeches on an IPod for the Queen was for the purpose of ensuring that HM would get a good snooze on long trips?

 

[ladongas]

A myth!

President Obama did not give the Queen a gift of an iPod with his speeches. The Queen, however, did give him a gift of a picture of herself!

Barack Obama's gift for the Queen: an iPod, your Majesty – Telegraph Blogs
Barack Obama met the Queen at Buckingham Palace today and gave her a gift of an iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of her 2007 United States visit to Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. In return, the Queen gave the President a silver framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh – apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries.
It is believed the Queen already has an iPod, a 6GB silver Mini version she is said to have bought in 2005 at the suggestion of Prince Andrew.
UPDATE: Pool reporter Richard Wolf of USA Today says that an Obama aide told him the President also gave the Queen a "rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers". END UPDATE

 

[Duchess of Durham]

President Obama did not give the Queen a gift of an iPod with his speeches. The Queen, however, did give him a gift of a picture of herself!

Barack Obama's gift for the Queen: an iPod, your Majesty – Telegraph Blogs
Barack Obama met the Queen at Buckingham Palace today and gave her a gift of an iPod loaded with video footage and photographs of her 2007 United States visit to Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg in Virginia. In return, the Queen gave the President a silver framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh – apparently a standard present for visiting dignitaries.
It is believed the Queen already has an iPod, a 6GB silver Mini version she is said to have bought in 2005 at the suggestion of Prince Andrew.
UPDATE: Pool reporter Richard Wolf of USA Today says that an Obama aide told him the President also gave the Queen a "rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers". END UPDATE

Thank you for clarifying, ladongas!