The luggage mishap at Queen’s airport.
The Queen has travelled over the world during her reign, and with multiple engagements planned during each tour, there must be a variety of clothes ready for the Monarch to wear, as well as back-up options.
The Royal crew can pack up to 30 costumes for a ten-day journey, which must be carefully cared for to ensure they are in excellent shape when the Queen arrives at her location – stuffing clothes into a compact bag is not an option.
However, dressmaker Angela Kelly stated in her book The Other Side of the Coin that there was a wardrobe disaster at the airport on one royal trip, despite staff’s best efforts to pack quickly.
Initially, the Queen travelled with three huge, leather wardrobes that were difficult for staff to carry and transport.
Angela devised an alternative approach to utilize hanging bags instead of wardrobes, with two outfits packed per bag, to make travelling easier.
The Queen approved of the concept, and the system appeared to work well until the Queen and Prince Philip visited Italy in 2000.
