My Brush with Royalty

No…..I have never met the Queen but back in the day when hubby was a gardener for a retired army major in Berkshire….during Ascot week they used to hold house parties and us women had to “help out”. As Ascot approached it was all hands on deck especially the year that youngest son “H”…..no not Harry, “H” had invited “a special “friend”…Lady Sarah Spencer……one of the sisters of Princess Diana.

The Majors wife was in a real flap about the guest coming to stay….”You do know she coming to us straight from Windsor? “. We have to have everything just right. Realy good linen sheets…and make sure you put them on the right way…I did not know they had a right side and wrong side….and I got it wrong so had to do it again.

I used to have to make her bed each morning and “tidy up”……..and it wasn’t easy….clothes and talc all over the place.

Each night was a dinner party and the housekeeper was waitress and me …the gardener’s wife was the washer upper….while hubby looked after son no 1. You could hear the clinking of glasses and chatter coming down the corridor…….We did have a dishwasher but had to hand wash some of the glassware. So each evening there I was hands in the bubbles doing the washing up and enjoying a glass of leftover champagne…..then the next day back to the housework tidying up the library/dining room etc.This was long before Princess Diana was on the scene. Until next time.Bye!