The Queen's secret handbag code

A photograph of George Brandis, Australia’s new High Commissioner to the UK, meeting Queen Elizabeth II for the first time, reveals much more than meets the eye.

As the pair are captured smiling at one another in the Audience Room, you may assume they got along well, but the real indicator lies in the placement of the Queen’s Launer handbag.

Thankfully it’s good news for the High Commissioner -- as her iconic purse is happily sitting on the chair in the background – a sign that Her Majesty wants to keep speaking with him.

The Queen uses her handbag to give her lady-in-waiting a subtle signal about how she’s feeling during a meeting.

So, if it’s on the floor the Queen is asking to be saved and if the bag was perched on the table nearby, it would mean the meeting would be minutes away from being shut down.   

Luckily for Brandis the bag stayed firmly on the chair.

Clearly, the iconic handbag is far more than just an accessory.

Apart from being a secret signal, it's one of the few things she carries daily, and she's been doing so for nearly 50 years.

That handbag is a true representation of the monarch, and whether held daintily or placed on her lap as she sits, is synonymous with her public appearances over the years.

Oh, and yes - you can own one yourself.

Queen Elizabeth's handbags always come from British brand Launer London. The company first sent her one of their styles in 1968, and shortly afterwards was given the Royal Warrant. 

Designed and manufactured in the UK, Launer bags have had a reputation for classic luxury since the brand launched in the 1940s. According to their website, the arrival of Queen Elizabeth at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 - with a Launer bag on her arm - led to their website crashing, and the bags gaining more popularity than ever.

WATCH: How the Queen reportedly greeted Meghan Markle.

As you'd expect, the stunning designs cost a royal sum. 

Queen Elizabeth typically favours Launer's classic black patent leather Traviata handbag, which clocks in at £1,700 (about $2,900 AUD). Of course, the Queen's designs are bespoke...but there's no mistaking that logo.

The top price is £5,000 ($8,500), but if you can't stretch the budget that far (us neither), then a card holder costs just £107 ($182).

Inside her bag at any one time is a handkerchief, mints, a fountain pen, reading glasses and a small mirror. She also keeps sentimental trinkets including gifts from her family, and photos of those closest to her. 

Oh, and those rumours that she never carries cash? Not true. In fact, Queen Elizabeth reportedly keeps a crisply ironed £5 or £10 note (never more) in her bag to donate to the church collection each Sunday.