Breaking News: Wow what A Deep Secret Reviewing, Queen Elizabeth Kept This Gift from Prince Philip in Her Bag for 75 Years… See More

Queen Elizabeth did a lot with her bags: she used them to signal to her staff and often carried them so she wouldn’t have to shake hands with people. Now, royal fans are finding out that she used it to keep a piece of her beloved husband with her at all times. Phil Dampier, author of What’s in the Queen’s Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets, told Hello! that the late queen always kept a specific, super-sentimental gift from her husband, Prince Philip, in her purse.

One of her most personal and prized possessions in the bag is a small metal make-up case,” he shared, adding that Philip gifted the sentimental item to her to remember (and commemorate) their 1947 wedding. Dampier also noted that while the compact was the most heartwarming item in the queen’s purse, she also had necessities in there, like a handkerchief, reading glasses, and a pen. And if one piece of sentiment wasn’t enough, the author shared that the queen often carried “good-luck charms, including miniature dogs, horses, saddles, and brass horsewhips” that she received as gifts from her family.

Another insider, Phil Brown, the manager of soccer team Hull City, got a peek inside the late queen’s bag and confirmed that she wasn’t one to pack light. He told The Lady that after getting a peek in her purse during a luncheon, he saw pretty normal things—and a few were surprising.

“It was almost like a lady’s prop with essential items,” Brown said. “It had things that you would expect—makeup, [coin] purse, sweeteners she put in her coffee, the normal stuff.”

Brown was actually surprised that the queen even carried a bag, saying he thought “a lady-in-waiting would carry her handbag, but for the queen, it was almost like a comfort blanket.”