Queen Elizabeth has bespoke umbrellas made for her.
Nigel Fulton, CEO of Fulton Umbrellas, has revealed the process behind creating the accessories loved by the 90-year-old royal and her mother before her.
He explained: "The Queen’s senior dresser usually sends us swatches of material or colour chips for us to match the coloured border on the birdcage umbrellas. We then produce samples for their approval and if no further changes are needed we make up the finished umbrellas.
"Everything we produce for the Queen is bespoke. The specifications are slightly different and the colours are unique and they do not form part of our regular collection … It’s such an honour to supply umbrellas to the royal family and our usage seems to be getting wider every year."
And Nigel admits it was the highlight of his career when the monarch and her husband Prince Philip visited the company’s office in Canary Wharf in 2009
He told HELLO! magazine: "They were both absolutely charming and so genuinely interested in making umbrellas."
The Queen is used to having bespoke outfits or accessories made for her and it was no different with the dress she wore to the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Describing the dress, Caroline de Guitaut, who put together a fashion exhibition where the dress is being displayed, said: "The unusual pleats were there because the dress had to be instantly recognisable when her stunt double jumped out of the helicopter into the Olympic stadium. And the headpiece is perfect for an evening event."
Queen Elizabeth’s bespoke umbrellas
