30, she lived the life of a queen, and now she’s found herself without a job: All about the Elizabeth II lookalike

The ‘reserve’ queen was Ella Slok, who for more than 30 years stood in for Elizabeth II at rehearsals for official events, as Britain’s ruler’s schedule was so tight it was simply impossible to attend. be on time everywhere. In case of illness or other reasons for which Elizabeth II could not be present at one place or another, her official double came to the rescue.

It cannot be said that outwardly Ella is a direct copy of Elizabeth, but from a distance it is almost impossible to distinguish them. Height, figure structure, hairstyle and individual facial features make women very similar. The effect was enhanced by the outfits, they are exactly the same as those of the late ruler of Great Britain.

Ella herself noted this: she is not a double of the queen in the full sense of the word, she is her double, similar in parameters.

Slack was proud of its title. In an interview, she told reporters how she got her dream job. “It happened when I was working for the BBC. The producer who was in charge of the Cenotaph (monument intended to perpetuate the memory of all the soldiers who died in the conflicts involving the United Kingdom – editor’s note), came to me. He said the queen asked me to tell you that when she was standing at the cenotaph the sun hit her hard in the eye. The producer asked what we could do about it,” Ella recalled in an interview with media company Great Big Story.

Slack, clearly knowing the Queen’s parameters (wake up any Brit in the middle of the night – and he’ll answer), suggested a way out of the situation. “I said I could stand where the Queen should be to make sure the sun wouldn’t shine in Her Majesty’s eyes because I’m the same height as her and all the directors were men of less than six feet (180 cm). And then they started regularly asking me to replace the queen at rehearsals. I got into his royal carriage and took a boat ride to the Tower of London,” the official stunt double explained.

Ella is particularly proud of the day she participated in the official opening of Parliament, the main ceremony in the parliamentary calendar, which takes place every year in May. The ceremony takes place in the House of Lords and includes a speech from the throne known as the Queen’s Speech (or King’s Speech). “It was the official opening of Parliament. I have never been allowed to sit on the throne of the House of Lords. I can only stand next to him. And if I get in the carriage or the queen’s carriage, then I wave my hand.

The events I participated in the preparation are broadcast all over the world, they are watched by millions of people. I also watch outgoing programs, I see the Queen there and I’m proud of what I’ve done for her,” Ella admitted.

Interestingly, Slack doesn’t live in London, but on the tiny Isle of Man with a population of just over 80,000 people, located in the Irish Sea. His place of residence is about the same distance from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Even more interesting is the fact that Ella didn’t receive a penny for her “work” as queen. It was his decision. Slack refused to take the money because she considered her duties to the Crown “an honor and a pleasure”. Alas, on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth passed away and Ella lost her powers overnight.