Prince Harry is reportedly "quaking in his boots" ahead of the release of a new documentary focusing on the friendship between Queen Elizabeth II and her personal assistant and trusted dresser Angela Kelly, according to a royal expert.
Documentary to explore Queen and Kelly's friendship
The new film, written by Jeremy Brock—who also wrote the 2024 TV series A Very Royal Scandal about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Newsnight interview—will examine key moments in the late Queen and Kelly's relationship. Royal expert Richard Eden, writing for The Daily Mail, suggested the film could include moments involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
While Kelly may not have been involved in the script, it is believed the so-called "tiaragate" situation could feature in the documentary-style release. The incident, detailed by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand in their book Finding Freedom, allegedly saw Kelly fail to schedule and make trial tiara fittings for Meghan before her wedding to Prince Harry.
Harry's past criticism of Kelly
This reportedly angered Harry, especially as it meant Meghan faced more stress in the build-up to their wedding day. Kelly has never addressed the rumoured incident, remaining quiet due to her close friendship with the late Queen. However, Harry was not complimentary of Kelly in his book Spare, calling her a "troublemaker".
Now that the rows between Kelly and the couple could be shown in the upcoming film, it has been said Harry may be feeling nervous. This was claimed by royal expert Richard Eden on Palace Confidential, who said the late Queen saw Kelly as being "like a sister". He also said Kelly had the nickname "AK-47", explaining: "AK for Angela Kelly, but a bit like the submachine gun."
Expert warns of 'very accurate portrayal'
Discussing the upcoming film, Eden said: "There are whispers that it's going to be a very accurate portrayal. It's a big deal... you might remember she had some really lively rows with Harry and Meghan, and Harry is particularly unpleasant about her in his book."
The Daily Mail's Charlotte Griffiths said tiaragate may not be the only situation addressed in the film. She said: "Speaking of Spare, the stuff Angela saw during tiaragate. Apparently, there's another incident from around that time that they (Harry and Meghan) are praying does not come out in this drama." Charlotte added that Harry should be "quaking in his boots" about the upcoming release.
Kelly's life since the Queen's death
It is not known if Kelly has made any contribution to this film. Since the late Queen's death in 2022, she has had no involvement in the Royal Family and even moved from her home on the Windsor Castle estate. She has spoken about her relationship with the late Queen before, frequently referring to her as her "best friend".
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Angela said: "We both knew we had trust, loyalty, and understanding. The Queen was my best friend and I miss her every day." She also recalled the fun they would have in day-to-day life, saying: "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 around 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."
