Queen Elizabeth II's 'Secret Weapon' Angela Kelly Makes 'The Crown' Cameo

Angela Kelly, former dresser to Queen Elizabeth II, played an important role in the monarch's life, having been referred to as one of her closest confidantes. The royal aide was featured as a character in an episode of the "Crown" portrayed by Lizzie Hopley.

The character made a cameo in the tenth episode of the sixth and final season of the Netflix show. She is not called by her name in the episode but is credited as "Angela Kelly - Queen's Dresser".

The episode shows Queen Elizabet II (played by Imelda Staunton) waking up at Buckingham Palace. Then she had her clothes selected, pressed, and arranged by a blonde woman with a distinct Liverpudlian accent. The woman then talks the Queen through her diary for the day in a very casual manner.

Hopley discussed her brief time on "The Crown" and said that "playing Angela was unexpected fun". She also shared her similarities with Kelly, including their roots in the city of Liverpool in northwest England.

"Like me, she's a Scouser born to working-class parents but then she became this secret weapon to the queen. The queen headhunted her and then forbade her to have elocution for her Scouse (a British slang term for people from Liverpool) accent, which says brilliant things about them both," the actress told Newsweek.

As for filming her scenes for episode 10 of season 6 of "The Crown," Hopley said she filmed them with Staunton "quite soon after losing the Queen". She recalled: "For Imelda, it was a strange time and having everything so beautifully reproduced by the creative team was a haunting tribute."

She added: "Working in the replica of her office felt close to experiencing Kelly's level of love and duty—all that loyalty and love poured into one woman. The queen described them as being more like sisters. What a tribute."

The casual way in which Hopley's Kelly addressed Staunton's Queen Elizabeth II in the episode reportedly speaks of the closeness the aide and the monarch shared in real life. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said Kelly "was highly influential whilst the queen lived" and alluding to reports of tensions between the dresser and other royal staff members, said that she "was reportedly deeply resented too".

"The cameo was not judgemental, It simply represented a significant figure in the royal household," Fitzwilliams said of "The Crown" featuring Kelly.

Kelly was among those who attended Queen Elizabeth II's funeral service on September 19, 2022. She served as the monarch's personal assistant and senior dresser from 1993 to 2022.