People have been left baffled after spotting the Queen's handbag on her arm as she officially named Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister. Her Majesty formally invited the Conservative minister to form a new UK government in a meeting at her Scottish home of Balmoral.
Photos of the historic event show the Queen greeting Ms Truss with the royal tradition of 'kissing the hands'. The former Foreign Secretary is the 15th Prime Minister the Monarch has welcomed during her 70-year reign, the Mirror reports.
Their audience was held in the green drawing room, with the Queen dressed in a simple blouse, grey cardigan, and skirt of Balmoral tartan - as well as her trusty patent black handbag on her arm. Her Majesty is rarely seen without the staple accessory, however people couldn't get their heads around why she kept it on her during the meeting - despite being in her own home.
Some say that the Queen uses her handbag as a clever way of communicating secret signals to her staff by subtly moving it to different positions. Her handbag even has its own parody Twitter account - The Queen's Handbag.
One person on social media asked: "The Queen's at home. Does she need her handbag with her? Surely at her age, any extra weight she doesn't need to carry is a good thing, right?"
Another said: "After all this time, I still get a kick out of it how the Queen ALWAYS has her handbag with her, even in her own home, living room by her sofa!" Others shared praise for the tradition, with one saying: "A lady was never without her handbag, hat or gloves in the Queen’s day. The gloves and hat come and go, but the handbag has remained."
And another adding: "The Queen has her handbag on her arm in her own front room. I couldn’t adore her more. God save Her Majesty, the Queen." One Twitter user said they'd love to see a version of a 'what's in my bag?' video with Her Majesty.
"There's no way she keeps any money on her or even an ID," they said. "Like the keys to Buckingham palace?? Idts. Open up that tiny little handbag and let us see inside Liz!!"
The Queen did exactly the same thing - holding the similar bag on the same arm - when she greeted former PM Boris Johnson when he started at Number 10, and the same with his predecessor, Theresa May. She kept hold of her bag when greeting Barack and Michelle Obama on their state visit, and has done the same when meeting other high profile guests over the years.
She's been using the famous bag for official engagements, presidential visits and other key events for decades - and it even made an unexpected appearance in a portrait she had done in 2018. Over the years many insiders have shared the secrets of what she carries with her, including a compact mirror and lipstick.
She reportedly only carries money on a Sunday, when she takes a £5 note to pop in the collection pot at church. A more unusual item is a portable hook, which she uses to discreetly hook the bag under tables when she's out and about so she doesn't have to put it on the floor.
She also carries her reading glasses, mints and a fountain pen.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
