A British designer who overcame significant health challenges to establish her brand has praised Queen Camilla and Meghan Markle for wearing her handbags.
The 77-year-old Queen has displayed her trusty Mayflower bag in the taupe colourway during royal engagements, including VE celebrations and on the Royal Autumn tour to Australia and Samoa, fulfilling Charlotte Elizabeth's long-held ambition to see a Queen or Princess carrying her designs.
Elizabeth, now 30, faced serious health issues beginning as a teenager when she was diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia at age 15.
She later developed POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and chronic fatigue syndrome, which at its worst left her bedridden and requiring full-time care from her family.
A British designer who overcame significant health challenges to establish her brand has praised Queen Camilla and Meghan Markle for wearing her handbags
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Elizabeth, originally from Hertfordshire but now residing in Cornwall, told GB News: "At my very worst, I was being fully cared for by my family. I couldn't even get my head off the pillow."
Despite her health struggles, Elizabeth found inspiration during a difficult period in 2013-2014, explaining: "I was just looking at the white walls of my bedroom, thinking, 'Well, what next?' I just got this image of this handbag... and I could almost see into the future."
Elizabeth received support from the then Prince's Trust, attending their enterprise course and securing a £3,000 loan to produce her first 40 handbags using Scottish leather and British manufacturing.
Her breakthrough came in 2018 when Meghan Markle's PA contacted her.
Queen Camilla wore the bag for a visit to Covent Garden in 2023
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Elizabeth told the People's Channel: "I walked up to Kensington Palace with a handbag. It was just before she married Prince Harry... and overnight, I was able to hire six different people, and the orders were just insane."
The Duchess of Sussex showcased the British-designed "Original Bloomsbury" bag when she and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Belfast in 2018.
Elizabeth added: "When I was daydreaming about this amazing idea, I thought one day a princess or a queen will wear this, and I just was adamant."
Now working from her cottage in Cornwall, Elizabeth expresses amazement at seeing her creations, which retail between £300 and £420, as a staple of Camilla's wardrobe and in the royal spotlight.
Queen Camilla displayed the bag whilst on an international trip to France in 2023
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Meghan Markle showcased the British-designed 'Original Bloomsbury' bag when she and Prince Harry made a surprise appearance in Belfast in 2018
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The 30-year-old designer said: "Queen Camilla is wearing it, so it's really amazing, and she's worn it now over like 10 times.
"It feels rather surreal, to be honest. I sort of see it on the news and stuff. And I think that's just weird, because I've sent that bag out from my little cottage and gone up the post office."
Zara Tindall has also been seen wearing the Prince's Trust-supported British brand Charlotte Elizabeth, sporting the black cross-body "Mayflower" bag for the annual Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse in 2023.
The design was "made from Italian full-grain leather and handcrafted at the luxury factory in Spain" and retails for £340.
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