I am not a Royalist but this play drew me in because it was not just about Elizabeth II but about the empowerment of relationships.

By Angie Millard

Photos by Robert Day

I went expecting to hear the same old platitudes and quotes which have been leaked to the press but instead I was treated to a life lived in the palace seen through conversations about what colours and styles were to be worn at key events. The importance of presentation and visual effect gradually emerged. It was clear that Her Majesty preferred to wear twinsets and tweed, however, the impact of her ‘uniforms’ could not be ignored. Her designers carefully curated the results much as Elizabeth I had done.

In many scenes (all crafted around the creation of an outfit), the author presented the interplay of four characters. First we had the dresser: based on Angela Kelly. She was a Liverpudlian whom the Queen met when Kelly was working as a housekeeper, at The British Embassy in Rome. In the play, she had an all-purpose Northern accent and had become a confidante and companion who acted as a buffer. She was played with a strong no-nonsense attitude by Laura Main and managed to imply a level of intimacy and loyalty with subtlety and emotion.

David Robb played the designer, an amalgamation of two real-life people: Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell. He was clever and chose colour effectively as well as understanding the power of good tailoring. There was a wonderfully funny moment when he became overwhelmed by the idea of receiving a knighthood which reminded me of Malvolio, in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. It was made even funnier when he realised, on this occasion, he was mistaken. Matthew Cottle was the milliner and, as an Australian, added humour through his etiquette mistakes and clumsy gaffes. The uneasy relationship between him and Robb was competitive and realistic.

The trio had their scenes placed in a frame by Laura Matthews who acted as curator and historian, prefacing each scene with current events, political points and reminding us what was top of the hit parade.

Finally, we had the Queen played by Jane Asher with assurance and skill. She maintained the balance between what we expected of the monarch and her private opinions. Her progression towards old age was beautifully managed as she became frail and dependent on her dresser. We saw her loneliness and isolation through the simple setting of net drapes and one sofa. The drapes closed as she walked away upstage to her death.

What stayed with me was the power and necessity of human relationships shown in By Royal Appointment and I pondered again on the commitment of Elizabeth’s lifetime’s work. She has been seen in many plays and TV series as a figurehead but we are never given any real knowledge of her as a human being. Perhaps that is best.

By Royal Appointment played at York Theatre Royal on Tuesday 10 November 2026.