The Queen was revered for her brilliantly bright outfits, from lime green two-piece suits to lemon yellow polka dot dresses. Her Majesty believed that she had to be 'seen to be believed', choosing to offset her colourful wardrobe staples with an accessory that she was practically never seen without: her beloved handbag.
Designed by West-Midlands based company Launer London for more than 50 years, the late monarch's signature bag boasted a classic boxy style with short handles. Nearly always in black, her purses were small enough to remain practical while shaking the hands of world leaders - but large enough for the monarch's necessities.
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The contents of the sovereign's handbag has been a talking point for royal fans for decades, as people were desperate to know what's inside the bag that the Queen held so close throughout her 70-year reign.
Far from being simply aesthetic, the Queen 's handbag was in fact her secret weapon, as she used it to send hidden signals to staff during high-profile royal visits and official engagements with politicians, world leaders and celebrities.
Fashion has long been used as a political tool to symbolise power and authority, but the monarch used her trusty accessory as a vessel to subtly send messages to her courtiers.
This proved to be a cunning strategy given all eyes were constantly on the monarch during royal occasions, making it difficult for her to communicate more overtly without offending her guests.
The Queen would tactfully inform her ladies-in-waiting that she wanted someone to come and subtly interrupt the conversation by switching her handbag from one arm to the other, according to insiders.
If she urgently wanted to leave a situation, the Queen would apparently place her bag all the way on the floor.
And according to the Telegraph, if there was a dinner that the late sovereign wanted to end within the next five minutes, she'd pop her purse on the table.
Given there were so many security measures in place for the Queen's high-profile visits, the clever handbag system was practical as well as polite.
Her Majesty was never seen without her beloved handbag, proving further that she enjoyed utilising it as a subtle aid throughout her reign.
Even when the formal occasion would occur inside one of her royal residences, the late monarch would have a purse in tow.
She was so attached to her accessory that it made an appearance in the official photographs from her final meeting with Liz Truss, in the last public images of the sovereign before she passed away.
The Queen also wore a handbag when swearing in Boris Johnson and Theresa May and greeted Barack and Michelle Obama on their state visit with her purse on her arm.
Owing to the late monarch's penchant for handbags, people have obsessed over what she kept inside them for decades.
Over the years many insiders have shared the secrets of what she carries with her, including a handy compact mirror and her favourite lipstick.
She reportedly only carries money on a Sunday, when she takes a £5 note to drop in the collection pot at church.
A more surprising 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.
Phil Dampier, the author of What's In The Queen's Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets, previously told HELLO! that the monarch carried treats for her beloved corgis, as well as a "crossword cut from a newspaper by a servant in case she has time to kill".
According to Dampier, "One of her most personal and prized possessions in the bag was a small metal make-up case," that Prince Philip gave her as a wedding gift nearly 70 years ago.
Her Majesty thrilled fans when she finally revealed what's inside her handbag during her famous sketch with the fictional children's character Paddington Bear.
During the skit which beautifully captured the Queen's brilliant wit, Paddington says "Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich," before admitting that he "always likes to keep one for emergencies".
"So do I. I keep mine in here," the Queen replies, pulling a sandwich out of her beloved handbag before adding "For later".
The sketch, which gives her trusty handbag all the attention it deserves, touched the hearts of the nation, as many have laid marmalade sandwiches as tributes to the late Queen at royal landmarks across the UK.
The Queen's handbag became a symbolic marker for the monarch's image, as it even made an unexpected appearance in a portraiut she had done in 2018.
Ben Sullivan, the artist who painted the portrait to mark the RAF Club's centenary, said of the handbag: "It was almost happenstance that it was placed there but it gives some idea there's actually a person as well as a figurehead - it's personal.
"It's where she put it, and I thought I could take it out, but then I thought - actually it's quite a nice thing, a personal thing".
In a recent tribute to the late Queen, Proprietor of Launer Gerald Bodmer said that the monarch's outfit was never complete without her famous purse.
"She was a wonderful person to meet - quite normal, but with huge charisma," he said.
"She told me on many occasions I met her she never felt fully dressed without her handbag."
You can now buy Friday's historic Daily Mirror commemorating the death of the Queen here: mirror.co.uk/commemorative
