Queen Elizabeth 'Loved' Dancing to ABBA's 'Dancing Queen' in the Mornings, Former Aide Reveals

Janine HenniTue, April 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC

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Queen Elizabeth; Angela Kelly -

Queen Elizabeth's former stylist, Angela Kelly, revealed the monarch loved dancing to ABBA's "Dancing Queen" when it came on the radio

Kelly worked for the Queen for 28 years and was credited with modernizing her wardrobe and iconic style

The dresser said that the iconic monarch "knew she had to look the part"

One of ABBA's greatest hits struck a chord with Queen Elizabeth, who "loved" to dance around to it, according to the late monarch's most trusted aide.

The late Queen's close aide, personal stylist and dressmaker, Angela Kelly, made the revelation in a new interview with Vanity Fair, reflecting ahead of what would have been the Queen's 100th birthday on April 21.

"Every morning, the Queen would listen to the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. When the song ‘Dancing Queen’ came on, she loved it, and both of us would dance," said Kelly, who worked for Queen Elizabeth from 1994 until her death in 2022.

"The Queen would move from side to side and sing. Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn’t," she recalled. "I’d get carried away and be dancing all round her like I was at a disco, and the Queen would tell me to ‘move over’ because I can’t sing, and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the Queen so relaxed.”

Queen Elizabeth isn't the only royal with an affinity for ABBA's hit. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were recently spotted grooving at a special performance of Mamma Mia! The Party in Stockholm.

Queen Elizabeth in 2021; Angela Kelly in 2018.Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth and Kelly grew close during the 28 years that Kelly faithfully worked for the monarch, a tenure in which the key aide became "revered and feared" in the royal fold, Vanity Fair said. Kelly earned the nickname "AK 47" after the assault rifle because of her influence at the palace and was the force credited for revamping the Queen's signature wardrobe.

"I told her, ‘Your Majesty, you have good legs. Let’s show them off,' " Kelly joked to the outlet. "Needless to say, the hems on the clothes were raised."

Queen Elizabeth met Kelly in 1992 when she and Prince Philip visited Germany, where Kelly was working as a housekeeper for British ambassador Sir Christopher Mallaby. The Queen clicked with Kelly and invited her to apply for an assistant dresser position at Buckingham Palace, where she rose up from that role to eventually become senior dresser and later, her personal advisor, wardrobe curator and in-house designer.

Queen Elizabeth, Anna Wintour and Angela Kelly at London Fashion Week on Feb. 20, 2018.Credit: Yui Mok - Pool/Getty Images

By the time she died, Queen Elizabeth's iconic style was synonymous with candy-colored dresses and separates, always impeccably tailored and chosen to ensure she'd pop in the crowd.

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"Fittings were fun. The Queen loved seeing the clothes being made from the beginning to the end, seeing the material," Kelly said about their sessions together. "She liked the pastel and deep colors, but she preferred people to focus on her speeches rather than her clothes. Though she was not fashion-led, she still knew she had to look the part."

Kelly's unique role took her everywhere from royal tours around the world to private family vacations at Balmoral Castle, where she said she shone around her loved ones.

Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prine George, Prine William, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and more royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at Trooping the Colour on June 11, 2016.Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

"The family would visit, and she loved being granny. Her Majesty took her great-grandchildren out riding or walking. She did barbecues and fun things, and she always washed the dishes, even when she was entertaining the prime minister," the dresser said.

"It was just a normal loving family, to be quite honest. If the Duke [of Edinburgh], or whoever was cooking, burned the burgers, she’d just laugh," she added about the Queen and Prince Philip's antics together. "As long as they had extra to put back on, and as long as all the family were fed and watered, that was all right. The Queen was just full of energy and a really cool granny, to be honest."

Kelly was with Queen Elizabeth until the very end and dressed her for her final journey to Windsor, Vanity Fair reported. She was a guest at the Queen's state funeral following her death in September 2022 at age 96 and said she will always treasure their time together.

"We both knew we had trust, loyalty, and understanding. The Queen was my best friend, and I miss her every day," she told the outlet.

Angela Kelly at Queen Elizabeth's state funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022.Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty

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Kelly was appointed as a Member of the Royal Victorian Order in 2006, Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in 2012 and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2023 in recognition of her royal service.

She published the bestselling book The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe in 2019 and left royal household service following King Charles' accession to the throne.

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