Most of us have probably never thought about where the Queen buys her clothes or her undergarments. But she certainly does and it’s fascinating to learn about the person who is in charge of this task. The woman who fits the Queen for her undergarments is June Kenton.
Having left school at the age of 16, she started working in her parents’ retail business. They sold ladieswear, blouses, skirts and underwear. When she first went out on her own, she owned a ladieswear shop in the Brixton market arcade in South-West London with her husband.
She bought Rigby & Peller for £20,000 when it was losing money. When she wanted to buy it, she had to go to the Queen and see that she approved since it included the Royal Warrant. She was given permission and she has held the Royal Warrant since 1982 and her official title today is that she is corsetiere to Her Majesty the Queen.
In 1993, she got the warrant as well for the Queen Mother. In 2011, she sold Rigby & Peller for £8 million. She’s been busy most recently with Storm In A D Cup, her autobiography that will be published soon.