And these valuable servants? Not equerries or other royal minions, but her trusty patent leather shoes, the unsung heroes of the Royal household.
It takes a team of four — not including the junior member of Buckingham Palace staff, dubbed ‘Cinders’, who has the job of wearing in her Majesty’s shoes — to produce the classic black numbers (she has other colours in the same style) which cost about £1,000. Yet the Queen certainly gets value for money out of them, wearing the same pair for years and re-heeling them when they wear out.
When she stepped out in Northern Ireland with Prince Philip this week, she was wearing shoes identical to those she first sported five decades ago. Politics change, and so, gradually, does the monarch’s style of dress.
The coats have become narrower, the hemlines slightly longer. Only her Majesty’s shoes remain emphatically the same.
At 88, the Queen relies on her shoes to be less glass slipper, more steadfast slip-on. Comfort and support are key. As a young woman she often wore shoes with a thinner, higher heel, but for nearly 50 years the same low style has kept her sure-footed and age-defyingly nimble.
Known as her ‘work’ shoes, they are handmade for her by shoemaker Anello & Davide of Kensington, West London, from the finest calf leather, usually in black patent with a brass clasp or a small bow.
The team works from a wooden ‘last’ made from measurements of the Queen’s foot, and include a pattern cutter; a clicker, who selects the leather; a closer, who sews the upper part and adds stiffeners; and, finally, a maker, who adds the sole and heel on the last.
Then there’ll be a fitting at the Palace, and — after any final adjustments, including a clean and polish — they’re ready.
The Queen’s selection — she has worked her way through hundreds of almost identical pairs over the years but circulates about ten pairs at any one time — includes plain black leather, black patent, white leather and beige leather, and three designs of evening shoe in satin, silver and gold. They are all hand-dyed and water-repellent.
The heel is always reassuringly chunky and 2¼ in high, with a raised insole to give the royal size 4s an added lift in the arch. If she is likely to be walking on uneven surfaces, the heel will be lower.
But even having them handmade isn’t quite enough to get them fit for a Queen.
Stewart Parvin, who has designed dresses for her for 11 years says that the shoes have to be immediately comfortable and that to achieve this, a member of staff with the same size feet will trot up and down palatial corridors for her until they are suitably broken in.
Parvin says: ‘The Queen can never say: “I’m uncomfortable, I can’t walk any more.” ’
Once she has taken delivery, her dressers Kate or Beverley might also use wooden shoe stretchers to make them more comfortable.
Her shoes have occasionally been ‘worn in’ by Angela Kelly, her devoted personal assistant, as they have almost the same size feet. But now there is the aforementioned junior staff member ‘Cinders’, who is the same size exactly. She wears beige cotton ankle socks when testing the Queen’s shoes, and is only allowed to walk on carpets. The shoes then get one trial run outside to ensure there is no slippage.
Footmen Ian and William are responsible for everyday care, including polishing and storage. After the Queen has worn them, they are aired on shoe trees then stored individually in silk or cotton drawstring bags.
近50年来，“它们”陪伴英国女王伊丽莎白二世探访各地，时刻保持优雅端庄却从不夺走女王的光彩。“它们”是谁？“它们”是英国王室的无名英雄——数十年如一日对女王忠心耿耿的漆皮鞋。
据英国《每日邮报》网站6月28日报道，尽管看上去款式简单，但女王的御用漆皮鞋需由一个四人团队手工制作，每双花费约1000英镑，为了防止新鞋磨脚，还会有专人替其试穿松鞋。
“50年前，漆皮鞋第一次出现在公众视野；50年间，女王的外套变窄了、裙边变长了，只有这双漆皮鞋还保持着最初的模样。”近日，女王和她的丈夫菲利普亲王共同出访北爱尔兰。脚蹬标志性的漆皮鞋，镁光灯下的女王显得分外高贵端庄。
报道称，漆皮鞋被视作女王的“工鞋”，由位于西伦敦肯辛顿的知名鞋履制造商“Anello & Davide”派专人手工打造，鞋面材质为品相最佳的小牛皮，款式通常为黑色漆皮经典小方头辅以黄铜扣。
这个制鞋小组共有四名鞋匠，一人负责挑选皮料、一人负责打版裁样、一人负责缝纫鞋面和加固配件，最后一人则负责连接鞋面和鞋跟。而“试鞋”的工作由一双木质鞋楦完成，这双鞋楦仿照女王双脚的大小制成，相似度近乎100%。
完工后，漆皮鞋会被送至女王府邸以供试穿，如有任何不合适之处，会立即返工予以调整。然而，“工鞋”做好了并不意味着它们可以即刻上岗。
据女王的御用服装设计师斯图尔特•帕尔文透露，随着女王年纪的增长，穿鞋的舒适性变得越来越重要，“因此，会有一位王室工作人员专门负责替女王穿新鞋，这样等到磨合期过后女王自己穿时就不会感到不舒服。‘我感到不舒服，我不能再往前走了。’决不能允许类似的话语从女王口中说出。”
帕尔文提到的这位专职试鞋的王室工作人员被称为“灰姑娘”（Cinders），她的双脚大小与女王完全相同。工作时，她会套上一双米黄色的及踝棉袜，然后穿上新鞋走路，并且她只被允许行走在地毯上。随后，“灰姑娘”还会在户外小跑一段，以确保新鞋不会滑脚。
至于鞋子的日常护理工作，则由两位男仆专职负责。每双被女王穿过的鞋子，都需放入鞋撑置于空气流通处，待鞋子变得干爽之后放进丝质或者棉质的束口袋贮藏起来。
而这些制作工艺精良、得到悉心护理的“工鞋”会为女王服务多年。“Anello & Davide”公司负责人戴维•海特称：“每年，我们会为女王制作一双或者两双鞋，偶尔还会帮女王翻新鞋面、修理更换鞋跟。在我们的客户里，她不是出手最阔绰的，我们的女王不浪费钱。”
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