Queen’s secret signals for help revealed
Everyone finds themselves stuck in awkward conversations now and then, and most of the time, all you can do is power through. That is, unless you’re the Queen. In a resurfaced interview from 2011, royal historian Hugo Vickers has shed some light on the subtle gestures Her Majesty uses to indicate to her staff she’s ready to exit a conversation.
“It would be very worrying if you were talking to the Queen and saw the handbag move from one hand to the other,” Vickers told People. “You see, this is a signal the Queen uses to indicate to her staff that she is ready to wrap up her current conversation.”
But if you’re thinking a member of her royal security team would come and drag you off, fortunately the reality is a bit more tactful.
“It would be done very nicely,” the historian confirms. “Someone would come along and say, ‘Sir, the Archbishop of Canterbury would very much like to meet you.’”
However, if you ever find yourself chatting to the Queen only to spy her spinning her ring… well, that’s another story!
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