Queen Elizabeth's purse was more than just a fashion statement
Here’s the Real Reason Queen Elizabeth Always Carried a Purse
Updated on Apr. 04, 2025
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Queen Elizabeth II’s style? Aside from her brightly colored outfits, it’s probably the signature handbag that was always neatly hooked on her arm. Up until the very end—and even at Buckingham Palace, her own home!—she would reportedly tote one around. You’d be hard-pressed to find a picture of Her Majesty without one of her purses. And they weren’t just a fashion statement (or a place to keep all the royal essentials safe). Queen Elizabeth’s purse served a secret purpose that only her most inner circle was fully aware of.
So what, exactly, did Queen Elizabeth use her purse for—and what was her purse of choice for this purpose? We asked Gerald Bodmer, the man who designed her favorite handbags, and Benjamin Wild, PhD, a U.K.-based cultural historian and royal fashion expert at Manchester Metropolitan University, to shed some light on the queen’s go-to accessory. Read on for all the details and a fascinating tidbit of royal history.
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What was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite purse brand?
Queen Elizabeth II’s preferred handbag supplier was British luxury brand Launer London. Even in her very last official picture, taken on Sept. 6, 2022, at Balmoral Castle just two days before she died, she sported one the company’s handbags. “She told me on many occasions … she never felt fully dressed without her handbag,” said Bodmer, Launer’s CEO, when he paid his respects.
Bodmer, who bought Launer in 1981 and designed some of the queen’s purses himself, tells us that her bags were “all handmade of the highest-quality calf leather from northern Italy and known for their structured rectangular silhouette (as opposed to soft bags), their hand holder and signature twisted rope emblem.” The queen mainly accessorized with the Traviata style, which was introduced in 1989 and quickly became known around the world as her favorite.
While Launer bags are available in all colors of the rainbow, the company’s most famous client always went with the “conservative” choice, Bodmer says: “She wasn’t revolutionary when it came to colors. She tended to go for white, beige or black.” But she customized them to her liking. The queen had “built-in coin purses in every bag and asked for extra large compartments,” Bodmer says. In her final years, he adapted her purses to make them “lighter” and “easier to open,” as well as added “an interior metal framework” and “a slightly longer handle.”
How many Launer purses did Queen Elizabeth own?
Contrary to popular belief, Queen Elizabeth II didn’t own 200-plus Launer purses but just a small collection she used for decades. She had “maybe six to eight Launer bags” that she wore for more than 50 years, says Bodmer. Very sensible and frugal for anyone, not just royalty!
According to Wild, the queen sometimes also sported custom-made handbags by other brands for state occasions, but “the brand would never be known.” Launer, therefore, remains the only name attached to her.
For the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Launer even created a special Jubilee Collection to honor her. Available in six colors—from a pretty (and bold) purple to a basic black—and retailing for $4,315 apiece, these bags are “special limited edition … based on a much loved 1970s archive design.”
Why did all of the queen’s handbags look (almost) the same?
Wild believes this had a lot to do with how she saw her official role as queen. Being the British monarch, she was “beyond fashion,” he says. “She didn’t come and go with fashion. She was a constant, unchanging presence, so it only fits that her bags stayed the same too.”
Plus, Wild adds, British senior royals—especially the queen or king—are supposed to be “impartial.” So chasing the latest accessory trends and becoming the patron for lots of different brands was something she likely avoided in a conscious way.
But while Queen Elizabeth’s purses may have had underlying symbolism, her signature bags undoubtedly also came with a handy bonus: “They went well with all her bright and often multicolored clothing,” says Wild.
Why did Queen Elizabeth always carry a purse?
Apart from the obvious reasons—to compliment an outfit and keep all essentials close at hand—Queen Elizabeth II used her handbags to secretly communicate with her staff. “She used it to send subtle signals without the public noticing. This was the handbag’s main function,” says Wild. “The queen sent subliminal signals so that they could extract her or interrupt her when she was talking to members of the public.”
For the queen, it all boiled down to proper royal etiquette. She knew how much it meant for fans to meet her in person and want to seem impolite when she thought it was time to end a conversation, Wild explains. Instead, when she needed a way out, she let her handbag do the talking—quite literally. “When she moved the bag from one arm to the other, it indicated that she wanted to be interrupted,” says Wild. “If she put the bag on the table, it meant that she was ready to leave in five minutes.”
She also sometimes used this more urgent signal: When Queen Elizabeth placed her purse on the floor, it meant she needed to be saved from an uncomfortable encounter ASAP.
What did she keep in her purse?
The queen typically carried a pair of reading glasses, a lipstick, some tissues and mints, treats for her beloved corgis, and a diary and pen in her handbag when out and about. Occasionally, says Wild, she would also have a paper emblazoned with the words for her latest speech. All in all, nothing extraordinary! Despite being Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, it seems Queen Elizabeth II really was just one of us when it came to the contents of her purse.
But the queen knew that people were curious about this, so for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, she filmed a small sequence that showed her having tea with Paddington Bear poking fun at the idea. In the hilarious clip, she pulled out a marmalade sandwich that she then shared with her sandwich-obsessed companion. It seems safe to say, however, that this was the only time she ever carried a snack in her bag.
According to Bodmer, she also may have had a Launer eyeglasses case in her bag. “She had them in all colors she had bags in, so they perfectly matched,” he says.
When did the queen’s love of Launer purses start?
Both Bodmer and Wild say that her love for the brand goes back to the early 1950s, when she was a young queen just starting her reign. And while it’s not known exactly when she bought (or received) her first handbag, it seems she inherited her love for the brand from her mother, who also wore their bags. Rumor has it that it was also the queen mother who gave the monarch her very first Launer purse. In 1968, the company received the Royal Warrant, a sort of royal license awarded by the queen herself, that made Launer her official handbag supplier.
In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II visited the company factory in Walsall in the British Midlands, just north of Birmingham. “She spent a whole afternoon at the factory and was very interested in the whole production process,” recounts Bodmer, who showed her around. “She was definitely a very nice person with a good sense of humor.”
What purses do Kate Middleton and the other royals favor?
The current queen, Camilla, also wears Launer handbags, along with Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, according to Bodmer. In fact, Launer even designed Camilla’s wedding handbag! That said, Camilla also regularly sports other brands, including Aspinal, Bulgari and Chanel. “Camilla might deliberately honor Queen Elizabeth II by wearing Launer while at the same time making sure she doesn’t repeat her,” explains Wild. “She doesn’t use Queen Elizabeth’s [purse] style—she mostly wears Launer clutches instead.”
Princess Kate, on the other hand, has not yet been spotted with signature royal brand. “Kate has used Chanel and Dior quite a lot. But as much as these might be personal favorites of hers, it might also just reflect the fact that they are popular brands that resonate with the public,” says Wild, who adds that “it’s important these days that the monarchy appeals to people on different levels, including their choice of handbag brand.”
As for Princess Diana, whose style became legendary, she had her favorites too. Some of them were even renamed for her: Dior, for example, changed the name of its Chouchou purse to Lady in the 1990s, after Diana was spotted regularly donning the bag. And a brown Gucci tote—one of her staples in 1991—was reissued 20 years later as Gucci Diana. There was also the Ferragamo Diana clutch, which was made specifically for her.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on Queen Elizabeth’s purse, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Gerald Bodmer, CEO of Launer London; phone interview, March 24, 2025
- Benjamin Wild, professor specializing in fashion narratives at Manchester Metropolitan University; phone interview, March 24, 2025
- Launer: “Heritage story”
- Launer: “Traviata”
- Launer: “Jubilee Collection”
- The Standard: “The Queen’s last public statement and pictures”
- BBC: “Queen Elizabeth II: ‘Never felt dressed without her handbag'”
- Vogue: “The story behind the Queen’s lifelong devotion to Launer handbags”
- Vogue: “What’s in the bag, Your Majesty?”
- Vogue: “The many handbags Princess Diana made famous”
- Metro: “How the Queen used secret handbag signals to communicate with staff”
