Almost everyday, throughout her long reign spanning decades, the sight of the presence of a large, red leather file placed on the monarch's writing desk heralded the beginning of official business for that day. This routine, carried out every single day, set the stage for one of the longest reigns of modern times.
Whereas the global world would commonly link the Queen to sparkling diadems made from diamonds and the impressive spectacle of military parades, she was mostly involved in these rather mundane activities at her desk. These secure boxes were not used to decorate the monarch's royal image; on the contrary, they became the very tool enabling communication between her personal chambers and the official work process of the UK government.
