If The Queen Starts Twisting Her Ring, It's A Sign She's Bored Of You

When you're stuck in a boring conversation on a night out or you're mindlessly nodding along to a story you've heard a million times, there are a variety of emergency signals you can give to you friends to let them know you need urgent help to escape.

Death stares.

Ear-lobe pulling.

Nose scratching.

AWhatApp message with the straight-faced emoji. 

But it's time we learn from the master – Queen Elizabeth II.

Next month, the Queen is unveiling her famous wardrobe at Buckingham Palace with the exhibition Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style of clothes from the Queen's Wardrobe, giving visitors the chance to see her eclectic mix of bespoke headwear, coronation dresses and day-to-day footwear.

And while the Monarch is known for her perfected public outfits and preened hair, it's her use of accessories to give off secret signals we're most fascinated by:

Ring Twist

With so many royal occasions, meetings and formal dinners, you can forgive the Queen for wanting to make a subtle escape to head home for a nightcap and catch up on last night's episode of Coronation Street.

According to royal experts, when Her Majesty wants to leave a conversation she will spin her ring, signaling to her aids she wants them to interrupt the conversation and help her with a speedy exit.

So, if you see the Queen twisting her ring you know she wants to scarper.

Bag switch

Much like Taylor Swift, the Queen loves a good forearm handbag pose. But for our Queen, there's more than meets the eyes to this position. 

When Her Majesty wants to wrap up a conversation or spots an old relative about to whip out the family photos, instead of a quick glance to her helpers the Queen slyly switches her handbag from one arm to another.

This motion signals, 'Oi, this bloke is so boring. Come help me pronto.' 

Well, maybe in not so many words but you get the drift.

Bag drop

It's often quite tricky on a night out to find somewhere to hide your bag, resulting in many women forming a circle around their bags piled up in the middle of the dancefloor.

But for the Queen, this is a signal she wants to leave. Like, now. 

Secret buzzer

We never saw the similarities between The Queen and The Simpsons' Mr Burns until now. 

According to officials, when Her Majesty takes official meetings in Buckingham Palace and wants to wrap up the conversation (after all, she's a busy lady), she presses a secret buzzer to tell staff she wants them to open the doors and get rid of guests. 

Future Prime Ministers, take note.

So there you have it – if you ever meet the queen and she starts to move her bag or twist ring, end the conversation immediately and run. 

Otherwise, she might set the corgis on you. 

Katie O'Malley

Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.