Bodmer, who still runs Launer at 93, recalls the Queen's 1992 visit to the Walsall factory where all-female craftsmen spend over eight hours making each bag start to finish. The QEII Commemorative Collection includes eight bags worn by the Queen, including the Traviata.
The Tosca in the commemorative line is priced at $2,325 and can be ordered with crystal-embellished rope emblem and a discreet plaque. For those who prefer to see originals, three Launer bags from the Queen’s personal collection are on display at Buckingham Palace in the exhibition "Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style," running through October 18.