To the untrained eye, when television sets are switched on at 3pm on Christmas Day, the Queen looks as regal as ever.
But Angela Kelly, her long time dressmaker, has revealed it is the one occasion of the year when the monarch hires a professional make-up artist to ensure she looks her best for the cameras.
Marilyn Widdess, a freelance television make-up artist who trained with the BBC, is the safe pair of hands tasked with the job of ensuring the 93-year-old sparkles on set.