She's rarely seen without an elegant handbag on her arm, but the question of what the Queen keeps inside it has long remained a mystery. Now a new book claims to cast light on the contents of the royal matriarch's main possession.

    What's In The Queen's Handbag: And Other Royal Secrets reveals that though the 81-year-old British monarch(君主) doesn't carry cash, keys or passport—since she doesn't own one—her bag is far from empty. Inside are a collection of little presents from her children, a make-up case, some family photos, and a camera sometimes. There's also an s-shaped metal hook that she places on the dinner table's edge to hang her bag from so that it doesn't touch the floor.

    Should you ever meet the Queen, it's not what's in her bag but what she does with it that should concern you. She uses her bags, of which she has about 200 made by London-based firm Launier, to send signals to her staff.

    Before dining with Queen, a point is made to inform guests that dinner will end in about five minutes after she places her bag on the table top.

    On walkabouts, she holds the bag to one side to show she intends to move on, at which point a lady-in-waiting joins the conversation, allowing her to slip away without causing offence.

    When at a banquet, if the Queen's bag is placed on the floor then it's a sign that she's not finding the conversation interesting, and wants nothing more than to escape. However, if the royal bag is dangling happily from the crook of her left arm, she is happy and relaxed.