Queen Elizabeth II: 'Never felt dressed without her handbag'

The Queen's handbag appeared in her sketch with Paddington during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations

The Queen said she "never felt fully dressed without her handbag", the manufacturer of her signature leather bags said as he paid tribute to her.

Launer London, based in Walsall, West Midlands, has held the Royal Warrant since the 1960s.

She wore a Launer bag to compliment her outfit for every single engagement and was even pictured with it in her last official photograph.

Proprietor of Launer Gerald Bodmer said the Queen was a "wonderful lady".

"She was a wonderful person to meet - quite normal, but with huge charisma," he said.

"She told me on many occasions I met her she never felt fully dressed without her handbag."

The Queen was still holding her much-loved Launer handbag earlier this week

Launer, based in the heart of Walsall's leather industry, was formed in the 1940s and quickly established itself as one of the country's premier handbag manufacturers.

Its handmade bags were supplied to some of London's leading stores including Harrods.

By the 1960s, the Queen was a regular customer and the company successfully applied for the Royal Warrant.

When it ran into financial difficulties, it was Mr Bodmer, an experienced leather goods businessman, who rescued it and continues to be at the head of the firm.

Launer goods are stocked all over the world, and the Queen's continuing endorsement has done little to harm its reputation.

She had them in several colours but the Queen, pictured in 1996, favoured her trusty black tote

"What an amazing person, truly loyal to British manufacturing and our company," Mr Bodmer said.

He added the firm and its workforce were "very proud" to have served her for so long.

She visited the factory in 1991, he said, and "took great interest in everything we did".

"We are very sad - an awful lot of people are coming to the site to see what we do, people feel it greatly."

The Queen visited the factory in 1991

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