She walked the halls of the British Parliament and sat in the royal carriage.
Her name probably means nothing to you, but Ella Slack has served as the Queen of England's understudy for more than thirty years.
Featured in the documentary
Elizabeth, Regard(s) Singulier(s)
, to be discovered in Pathé cinemas since Thursday, June 2, as part of the sovereign's platinum jubilee, the monarch's look-alike delivers a rare testimony about his activities.
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Responsible for replacing Elizabeth II during rehearsals for major events such as the Trooping the Color parade and the throne speech, Ella Slack slipped into the shoes of the queen dozens of times when she could not free herself.
Similar in stature to Her Majesty, the understudy has repeatedly helped Buckingham officials determine where Prince Charles' mother might stand during official engagements.
On video,
Elizabeth, Regard(s) Singulier(s)
, the trailer
above the throne
This unusual career began by chance.
“It started when I worked at the BBC, she told the podcast “Great Big Story”, in 2017. The producer came to see me to tell me that the queen had sent a message.
She explained that when she stood on the stage set up for an event, she had the sun in her eyes.
She was asking if something could be done about it.
Ella Slack would then have proposed to her interlocutor to take the place of the sovereign, in order to make the final adjustments.
“Then it led to other things,” she continued.
I got into his royal carriage and took the boat to the Tower of London.
And then there was the throne speech.
Only downside, the lining, who has always refused to be paid for his services, was never allowed to sit on the throne of Elizabeth II.
"I always have to stand above - it's a very strict rule," she slipped then.