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Queen Elizabeth II's Secret Weapon: The Royal Shoe Breaker
2 Feb
Summary
- A royal shoe tester wore new shoes to ensure comfort for royalty.
- Angela Kelly, Queen Elizabeth II's dresser, performed this duty.
- This role ensured royalty could attend events without discomfort.
Historically, a peculiar role existed within royal households: the "shoe tester" or "shoe breaker-inner." This individual's sole purpose was to wear a monarch's new shoes, ensuring they were comfortable and free of blisters before the royal wore them. This prevented any public discomfort or limping during official duties.
Later in her reign, Queen Elizabeth II utilized such a tester. Her dresser and personal assistant, Angela Kelly, revealed in her book that she performed this task. Kelly, possessing the same shoe size as the Queen, would break in the footwear to ensure immediate comfort for royal engagements.
This practice underscores the practical considerations for royalty, whose calendars were often packed with public appearances. Ensuring comfortable shoes was vital for maintaining a flawless public image. The role of the shoe tester is one of many unusual historical positions created to cater to the elite lifestyle.
Such unique roles are not exclusive to shoe testing. Historical accounts mention "wig testers" for pharaohs and "bed warmers" for medieval kings, illustrating a broader trend of specialized staff catering to royal comfort and convenience.
