The Queen's Jewels Are Cleaned With Gin, a Royal Insider Revealed

Andrea Romano

Sometimes, just a little nip of gin is all you need. Especially if you’re cleaning the Queen’s jewels.

According to People, Queen Elizabeth’s longtime dressmaker, Angela Kelly, revealed in her new book that whenever she is doing a quick cleaning of Her Majesty’s jewelry, she uses a little bit of gin to help them sparkle.

“A little gin and water come in handy to give the diamonds extra sparkle — just don’t tell the jeweler!” Kelly wrote in her book, "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe," according to People.

Using alcohol isn’t an incredibly novel DIY solution for people who love their diamonds and rubies. In fact, according to the DIY Network, a little bit of vodka can help shine up diamonds so they look clearer.

But this is England, so naturally, the Queen’s dressmaker would reach for something more traditional to the country, like a bottle of gin. It’s unclear which brand she uses, but we think Beefeater would probably be appropriate.

Of course, this practice doesn’t replace any routine deep cleaning. “The Queen’s jeweler will give the stones a deep clean when necessary, so for me, it’s just a matter of a quick polish and they’re sparkling once more,” Kelly wrote in her book.

Kelly also revealed in her book that the Queen no longer wears real fur, as of 2019. While her historic fur outfits will remain intact, from now on Her Majesty will only wear fake fur in the future.

“If Her Majesty is due to attend an engagement in particularly cold weather, from 2019 onwards fake fur will be used to make sure she stays warm,” Kelly wrote. Kelly told CNN that “Queen Elizabeth's decision to 'go faux' is the perfect reflection of the mood of the British public, the vast majority of whom detest cruel fur, and want nothing to do with it.”

Kelly’s book has a number of other incredible facts and tidbits about her years working for Buckingham Palace, including the fact that the Queen was more than happy to hug Michelle Obama, even though it’s not quite the proper etiquette.