When Ella Slack stands in for Queen Elizabeth II during preparation for royal events, it doesn’t take long for the difference in social class to become clear.
“When Her Majesty requests a cup of tea, she receives it in fine china. When I want one, it comes in a paper cup.”
For more than a quarter century, Slack has been on hand just prior to big events featuring the Queen. Such occasions often need to be rehearsed or lit for television, but Her Majesty isn’t going to step out of Buckingham Palace and stand in place while all of that activity goes on around her.
Enter Slack. She stands at just the right height, wears the matching size and shares the right hair color and complexion — and she’s amiable enough to stand on station long enough in full costume for all of those preparations to unfold.
Slack considers her role as Elizabeth II’s stand-in to be an honor. While rehearsing for major UK news events, Slack has witnessed some amazing specialties — including mass marches by England’s troops. But, events like that mean standing for long periods and maintaining a smile for hours — not an easy task for a women the age of Her Majesty or Slack.
“I know how hard (The Queen) works at these events,” Slack said. “I have a lot of respect for her.”
That must be true because Slack doesn’t receive a pence for standing in, and she doesn’t get to keep the clothes.
It’s been an unusually busy couples of years for the Royals. With last year’s Jubilee celebration and the massively successful London Olympics, this summer’s Coronation Festival and inbound royal baby. While remaining on call for all of that, Slack also travels throughout the UK giving talks about serving as Her Almost Majesty.
Slack wasn’t exactly a homebody before becoming the Preview Queen. For years, she was a manager with the BBC. She served in a golden age of British TV, including the heady days of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, classic Doctor Who and other shows now fixed in American minds forever.
The popular current British series The Hour recreates that era — adding plenty of inter-office intrigue and sex. Slack remembers those days and thinks the new show isn’t too far off the mark.
“Yes, there was quite a lot of that (romance),” she said. “There was plenty of parties when we were away on filming locations.”
Suffice to say, none of that nonsense goes on these days while Slack is standing in for Her Royal Highness – no matter what kind of tea cup is on the scene.
