This is how the Queen uses her jewellery to send her staff secret signals

And it's inspired.

We all have secret codes with our friends - alerting pals to something serious without arousing suspicion around us.

This is something that Queen Elizabeth knows all too well, except rather than alerting her inner circle that an ex boyfriend is near, she is more likely to be alerting staff that she needs removing from a situation - and fast.

We all know that the monarch's iconic handbag is actually a prop for such signals, being her first port of call when she wants help - moving it from one arm to the other reportedly means that her conversation needs to come to a close, and dropping it on the floor means that she's really not enjoying her guest's company and needs to be removed ASAP.

What we didn't know however is that her jewellery is just as important, with the Queen using her engagement ring to signal to staff that she needs help.

When conversation is taking a tedious route, the monarch will twist her ring around her finger - which reportedly is such a pressing signal that it will cue an immediate interruption and a polite aide ferrying off the bore in question to someone else.

So if you meet the Queen, look out for the signals.