Home US From a royal cottage to a remote bungalow in the Peak District: the house King Charles bought for the late queen’s confidant

From a royal cottage to a remote bungalow in the Peak District: the house King Charles bought for the late queen’s confidant

0 comments
Angela Kelly, 66, was one of the late Queen Elizabeth's closest confidants.

With its weathered brick façade and plastic window frames, it is a far cry from the cottage of grace and favor that enjoyed for years as the Queen’s boudoir.

But this £465,000 three-bedroom bungalow is a place Angela Kelly, 66, one of Queen Elizabeth’s closest confidants, can finally call home thanks to the king’s generosity.

As the Ministry of State reported last year, Ms Kelly was asked to leave her Grade II listed cottage on the Windsor estate just months after Her Majesty’s death in 2022.

However, Charles decided to fulfill his mother’s promise to provide lifelong accommodation to her dedicated employee by discreetly purchasing a house.

Angela Kelly, 66, was one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s closest confidants.

The house in Yorkshire that King Charles bought for Mrs Kelly, who was the late Queen's dresser and personal assistant.

The house in Yorkshire that King Charles bought for Mrs Kelly, who was the late Queen’s dresser and personal assistant.

Believed to be part of an agreement banning Ms Kelly from sharing royal secrets, the 1980s-style property is 160 miles from Berkshire in the Peak District and enjoys stunning views of the hills.

Paid directly from the Royal Family’s Coutts bank account, it is believed the property will revert to the Crown when Mrs Kelly dies.

While it may be a downgrade from their historic Windsor home, the bungalow features a spacious lounge with a gas fireplace, a cozy dining room and an open-plan kitchen.

Ms Kelly was asked to leave her Grade II listed cottage on the Windsor estate (pictured) just months after Her Majesty's death in 2022.

Ms Kelly was asked to leave her Grade II listed cottage on the Windsor estate (pictured) just months after Her Majesty’s death in 2022.

Queen Elizabeth sits front row at a runway show with Anna Wintour (third right), Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council (left) and royal couturier Kelly (second right) in 2018.

Queen Elizabeth sits front row at a runway show with Anna Wintour (third right), Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council (left) and royal couturier Kelly (second right) in 2018.

Kelly has published two books about working with Her Majesty and is understood to have had the Queen’s permission to write a third.

But while providing him with a home, a senior Palace aide acting on behalf of the King submitted a confidentiality agreement as part of the deal.

A well-placed source called the NDA a “gag order” that prohibited the dresser from using the words “King” and “Palace” for commercial purposes.

The late Queen adored Ms Kelly and in 2018 even joined her and Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour at London Fashion Week.

Appointed to the Royal Victorian Order in 2012, she was among a handful of personal staff at the Queen’s side during her final days. But Ms Kelly often irritated her colleagues and she was nicknamed ‘AK-47’ because of her temper.

When he returned to Windsor after the Queen’s death, carrying bags of Her Majesty’s belongings, the locks on the castle’s royal apartments were changed, ending his unrestricted access.

In May last year, Ms Kelly was photographed packing up her quaint cottage for a new life up North, appearing overcome with emotion.

You may also like