Queen Elizabeth’s aide, nicknamed 'AK-47,' clashed with Prince Harry in explosive ‘Tiaragate’: experts
Queen Elizabeth II’s fiercest protector, who earned the nickname "AK-47," would "take a bullet" for the monarch, royal experts claimed. This devotion later put her on a collision course with Meghan Markle during the infamous "Tiaragate."
"Angela Kelly was the real deal, a friend who would take a bullet for the queen," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "And it’s telling. Palace insiders called her ‘AK-47’ after the assault rifle because ‘people felt threatened by her.’ She was influential enough to ‘take people out’ of Buckingham Palace."
It’s been said that the late queen’s devoted dresser was no-nonsense, especially when it came to royal protocol.
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"Meghan Markle was on a collision course as she wasn’t adhering to longstanding traditions, which ruffled many feathers among many staff members," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital. "Angela was loyal to proper protocol and was the enforcer of such. Her dedication and duration of service meant she ended up shaping the presentation of the monarchy and was a gatekeeper regarding access."
"Her influence really impacted optics," Fordwich added.
Fordwich and Chard’s statements came after Kelly, the queen’s longtime assistant, advisor and curator, gave a rare interview to Vanity Fair correspondent and royal author Katie Nicholl.
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Kelly laid bare her close friendship with Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who would have turned 100 on April 21, and how, during their decades-long friendship, she managed the queen’s wardrobe, including her iconic, colorful outfits.
Kelly also oversaw the queen’s collection of jewelry and ceremonial items, a responsibility that reportedly placed her at the center of a heated dispute with Prince Harry dubbed "Tiaragate."
Nicholl wrote that ahead of her wedding to Harry in 2018, Meghan was presented with a selection of tiaras for the occasion. Although the former American actress was drawn to an emerald piece, Nicholl noted it was ultimately deemed unsuitable for her big day.
"While Meghan was happy with the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau that the queen had offered her instead, tensions arose again when Meghan was told by Kelly that she was not allowed to use the tiara for a trying-on session with her hairdresser ahead of the wedding day, reportedly causing Harry to ‘erupt’ at Kelly," wrote Nicholl.
A palace source told Nicholl that the queen refused to let the tiara leave the palace two weeks before the wedding.
"[Angela] often took a bullet for the queen, but this time Harry really went for [her]," a source claimed to Nicholl. "Harry was giving Angela hell."
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Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that Kelly wasn’t afraid to face anyone who challenged her. But that also reportedly put her in direct conflict with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"With the nickname ‘AK-47,’ she guarded the sacred values of the queen’s collection, including the precious jewels, clothes and hats," he explained.
"She guarded these areas with a renowned intensity, making her the queen’s fashion bodyguard. There were many rumors surrounding how the royal household never tried to oppose or impose any strategies on her. She was regarded as the feminine equivalent of a Rottweiler, with a bite if she was questioned."
However, nothing prepared Kelly to reportedly go toe-to-toe with the boss’s grandson, who was just as protective of his future wife. A palace source told Nicholl that she "was very much caught in the middle."
"At one point, [Harry] said, ‘Let me tell you, I don’t agree with you talking to my grandmother about this,’" Nicholl wrote. "Angela was in tears and went to the queen, saying she couldn’t take it anymore. Eventually, the queen said, ‘He can’t have it; I’ll deal with him. We’re having enough trouble with this wedding.’"
"People still question how Kelly had the queen’s ear, viewing her as a mere servant," said Chard. "Kelly’s power wasn’t ceremonial. She controlled access to the queen daily, and Queen Elizabeth backed her. Kelly put her heart and life into her work. She ran a tight, tidy ship, never leaving a stone unturned. She cared deeply for Queen Elizabeth, instilling confidence, protecting royal protocol and hierarchy, which was seen as an obstruction to some. However, it was given the queen’s approval."
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"Queen Elizabeth declared that the tiara in question ‘was not a toy,’" Fordwich claimed. "Angela was loyal to proper protocol and was the enforcer of such."
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Harry, 41, shared a different account of "Tiaragate" in his 2023 memoir, "Spare." He wrote that Meghan was initially set to wear the Spencer tiara, previously worn by his mother, the late Princess Diana. The queen then asked if Meghan wanted to wear a tiara from her collection.
"She offered us access to her collection of tiaras," Harry wrote, as quoted by People magazine. "She even invited us to Buckingham Palace to try them on. 'Do come over,' I remember her saying."
Harry said that the queen herself suggested that Meghan practice putting on the heirloom with her hairdresser. "It's tricky, and you don't want to be doing it for the first time on the wedding day," said the queen, he recalled.
Harry claimed that Kelly made it difficult to arrange. Not only did she become unresponsive to the couple, but she eventually told them that the tiara needed a "police escort" to leave the palace. When Harry agreed to arrange for an orderly and a police officer to do so, Kelly "inexplicably" told him, "can’t be done," the book claimed.
"I considered going to Granny, but that would probably mean sparking an all-out confrontation, and I wasn't quite sure with whom Granny would side," Harry wrote. "Also, to my mind, Angela was a troublemaker, and I didn't need her as an enemy."
Chard noted that with Meghan being a newcomer to the British royal family’s tight circle, there were bound to be obstacles with protocol.
"The ‘Tiaragate’ controversy arose as Hollywood and palace hierarchy clashed," said Chard. "Sources have also shared whispers of other family tensions. However, sources have only offered glowing reports of the queen and Angela Kelly’s relationship."
Fordwich said that Kelly earned her "clever" nickname with good reason. She was "sharply effective" and "an empowered gatekeeper and protector" of the queen.
"Angela earned her place of privilege with the immense trust shown by the queen due to her dedication and loyalty, two characteristics that are critical to serving the royals," said Fordwich. "Angela also, rather uniquely, earned personal trust through some special talents, such as breaking in shoes for the queen, updating her look, which was successfully welcomed, and becoming a trusted confidante during the COVID lockdown."
"Although from different backgrounds, the late queen and Angela Kelly held similar values, with duty being their priority," said Chard. "They forged an unbreakable bond. Queen Elizabeth loved Kelly’s pragmatic bluntness and viewed her as an incredibly loyal friend.
"As Kelly ascended the hierarchy, she gained seniority and status. However, this led to many feeling somewhat jealous and threatened by her access to Queen Elizabeth."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.
Kelly’s role came to an end after the queen died in 2022. She quietly stepped away from royal duties and retired from public service.