Angela Kelly, the late Queen’s right-hand woman, has given a rare interview in which she has spoken about her close relationship with the monarch

A confidante of the late Queen’s has given a rare interview, revealing how she and the monarch would dance together in her bedroom each morning. Angela Kelly, the late monarch’s personal dresser, designed many of her most iconic and colourful outfits and was considered one of her closest aides.

The pair were said to chat about “anything and everything” over cups of tea, sharing jokes and anecdotes about their grandchildren. Ms Kelly, who describes the Queen as her best friend, published two books – with her former employer’s blessing – chronicling her life curating the royal wardrobe, crafting her distinctive looks, and caring for her jewellery collection.

Following the late Queen’s passing, Ms Kelly lost her grace-and-favour residence on the Windsor estate. She informed her Instagram followers: “Getting ready to say goodbye. I am moving at last to my new home which I will be able to call My Home at last.”

In a reply to a friend, she confirmed her work phone had been disconnected and revealed she would be relocating to the Peak District, near Sheffield, to a house provided by the King. Later this week, six of Ms Kelly’s designs for her former employer will be displayed as part of an exhibition at Buckingham Palace entitled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, despite her having had little contact with the Palace since her departure, reports the Mirror.

As the 100th anniversary of the late Queen’s birth draws near, the 68-year-old told Vanity Fair how she fondly recalls dancing and singing along to ABBA’s Dancing Queen in the royal bedroom. She explained: “Every morning the queen would listen to the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. When the song Dancing Queen came on she loved it, and both of us would dance. The Queen would move from side to side and sing.

“Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn’t. I’d get carried away and be dancing all round her like I was at a disco, and the queen would tell me to ‘move over’ because I can’t sing and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the queen so relaxed.”

She also fondly recalled spending the Easter break with the late Queen at Windsor, adding: “The family would visit and she loved being granny. Her Majesty took her great-grandchildren out riding or walking. She did barbecues and fun things and she always washed the dishes, even when she was entertaining the prime minister.

“It was just a normal loving family, to be quite honest. If the duke, or whoever was cooking, burnt the burgers she’d just laugh. As long as they had extra to put back on, and as long as all the family were fed and watered, that was all right. The Queen was just full of energy and a really cool granny, to be honest.”

Angela, the daughter of a dock worker from Liverpool, was employed as a housekeeper for the British Ambassador to Germany when she had her first chance encounter with the late Queen in Berlin in 1992. The late monarch visited the ambassador’s residence during a trip to Germany, and just 12 months later, upon her return to the UK, Angela was offered the role of the Queen’s dresser.

She went on to publish two books, Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe and The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, in which she disclosed her intimate bond with the monarch. She even revealed how she would break in Her Majesty’s shoes to prevent blisters.

It was subsequently reported that the King had reservations regarding the number of books Angela – who says she still misses her former employer – had released with the Queen’s blessing, which were predominantly focused on the monarch’s wardrobe but also featured behind-the-scenes photographs. A third book was reportedly in the pipeline, though it has yet to come to fruition.

Angela’s close bond with the late Queen also allegedly sparked envy amongst fellow members of staff, with Ms Kelly, once nicknamed ‘AK47’, quipping: “I don’t have any more room for knives in my back.”

Prince Harry criticised her in his memoir, Spare, alleging that he had a confrontation with her after he and Meghan Markle struggled to reach her to arrange a time to use a tiara during a hair trial ahead of their wedding. He also branded her a “troublemaker”.

Angela said: “We both knew we had trust, loyalty, and understanding. The Queen was my best friend and I miss her every day.”