Elizabeth's Second! In 60 years, the Queen has never put a foot wrong in public. And for the last 24 of them, it turns out she's had a secret weapon -- the nice Ella Slack. The former BBC manager has, unknown to anyone except a handful of key advisers, spent the last quarter of a century acting as the Queen's official stand-in at rehearsals   for royal events. The 69-year-old has never accepted a penny for her royal service, considering it "a pleasure and an honour" to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the Queen. "How many people in the world have had a chance to sit in a royal landau   or walk onto the dais   at Windsor Castle even before the Queen has done so?" she said. While Miss Slack may not resemble the Queen facially, she has a similar figure to the Queen, standing just 5 foot. The Queen is 5 foot 2 inch. She began her remarkable role in 1988, when she was working as manager of the BBC's sports and events department. A producer asked her if she could stand in for the Queen to check camera angles at a rehearsal -- and her second career was born. Since then, from the State Opening of Parliament   to the 50th anniversary of Victory day, wherever the Queen is on duty Miss Slack is likely to have been there first. She has perfected her own version of the Queen's clothes, including a black patent handbag she bought in a charity shop for PS1, and even styles her hair like the Queen. What's the Queen's secret weapon?
She often meets people in public. She actively attends social activities. She has a nice lady to act as herself. She and Miss Slack have a lot in common.