The Queen actually has someone to break in new shoes for her
You would if you could, wouldn't you?
You would if you could, wouldn't you?
You know when you buy a new pair of shoes and you can’t wait to wear them, but they tear your feet to absolute smithereens as soon as you put them on?
Now imagine if you had someone who could wear them in a little for you, just enough so you’re past the god-awful pain level, but not so much that they look scuffed.
Nice right? Well, the genius that is HRH The Queen has one such person, all to herself. To be fair, if you're royalty, you're just not going to faff about with Compeed and blisters like the rest of us, are you?
Stewart Parvin, who has designed her Maj's wardrobe for the past 11 years, told the Evening Standard that she has a staff member whose entire job is to walk around Buckingham Palace in her new shoes.
He said, 'The shoes have to be immediately comfortable … she does get someone to wear them. The Queen can never say "I’m uncomfortable, I can’t walk any more." She has the right to have someone wear them in.'
The shoe breaker (as we like to call her) apparently dons a pair of beige cotton ankle socks and must only walk on carpets until the leather is softened, thus keeping the sole pristine.
Queen Elizabeth II is known for wearing black patent heels by Anello & Davide for work commitments, and we all know how tough patent leather can be, so we get where she's coming from.
Now you know that it's not just money you won't find in the Queen's purse, it's plasters too. Love it.
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Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.
Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).
Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.
However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.
Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.
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