When an invite to Royal Lodge WAS the most popular ticket on the town!

Today, there are persistent claims that the King is making an attempt to maneuver his youthful brother out of his dwelling at Royal Lodge – and that Prince Andrew is by some means holed-up there, resisting his tormentors.

I’m not satisfied that is the case.

It is true, nonetheless, that the Lodge, nestling in its 98 acres of its personal grounds in Windsor Great Park, is not the home of pleasure it was in former occasions, significantly throughout the lengthy years of the Queen Mother’s widowhood when it grew to become a novel haven of leisure.

Her philosophy in life was that when you got here into her orbit, she wished you to go away feeling higher.

She had the arrogance to pluck all kinds of fascinating folks from many walks of life, the humanities, music, museums, the stage, the ballet and the opera, after which to entertain them.

There has been a home the place Royal Lodge stands since 1662.

The artist Thomas Sandby lived there, and when George IV used it as a brief dwelling, he employed John Nash – creator of Regent Street – to change and enlarge it, with additional enhancements by Jeffry Wyatville.

Royal Household officers lived there over time till George V gave it to the Duke and Duchess of York (later George VI and Queen Elizabeth) in 1931. 

The future George VI cherished it and couldn’t wait to unleash Sir Eric Savill to create an attractive backyard there – to not be confused with the close by Savill Garden, one other of his creations, which is open to the general public.

In 1932 the folks of Wales gave Princess Elizabeth a miniature home, Y Bwthyn Bach, which has been the enjoyment of lots of the youthful members of the Royal Family for generations since.

The King and Queen most well-liked residing at Royal Lodge and used it all through their reign.

After the King died it grew to become the Queen Mother’s weekend dwelling when she was within the south.

In her merry widowhood, the Queen Mother entertained in appreciable type. 

Invitations to Royal Lodge have been eagerly awaited.

The diplomat, Sir Charles Johnston, recalled a night in 1973: ‘It’s an enchanted world by itself – all of the splendour of a Royal institution however not one of the public consideration and hassle and sense of pressure … After dinner we had songs and dancing and marching up and down, and I shall always remember this dynamic little determine, lined in jewels, hair tumbled, twirling spherical, stamping, main the column of friends – out of 1 door, in at one other – arms up in Highland attitudes…’

The overly social bachelor, Peter Coats, erstwhile boyfriend of Chips Channon, was described in 1979 as ‘like a dog with two tails, making people guess where he spent the weekend, he helps them eagerly and makes sure they guess right.’ 

On cultural evenings John Betjeman and Ted Hughes learn their poetry. Noël Coward carried out on the piano, Raymond Leppard and Ruth, Lady Fermoy (maternal grandmother to Diana) performed duets. 

In 1984 a Canadian baritone sang Schubert and Britten songs directed by David Willcocks and Lord David Cecil learn from items from Mary McCarthy and Max Beerbohm. 

On one other event Edward Fox and Patrick Garland paid poetic tribute to the Crazy Gang and in 1990 Sir John Gielgud learn from Horace Walpole and Auden. 

The Queen Mother would sit subsequent to the Queen within the entrance row and urge her friends: ‘Would you, as they say, take a seat?’ because the efficiency was to start.

Then there was Bishop Horace Donegan, a social prelate, who had met the Queen Mother in New York in 1954. Once he had discovered her, her he by no means let her go. 

She invited him to Royal Lodge for a weekend each summer season, and he grew to become fairly twitchy till his annual invitation arrived. 

He would preach within the Royal Chapel however by some means at all times introduced the Queen Mother into his sermons, so she gently put an finish to that. 

He was additionally unduly keen on a Dry Martini. The Queen Mother advised her Private Secretary, Sir Martin Gilliat, on ache of dismissal, to ensure that the Bishop didn’t get his palms on a second Dry Martini as this made him lower than fascinating at dinner.

Needless to say the Bishop did fortify himself with a second drink and after they went into dinner, he was unable to say Grace. 

There was an agonising silence. Sir Martin mentioned later that his profession flashed earlier than his eyes. 

He went by Ludgrove and Eton, and was midway by Sandhurst when the Bishop discovered his presence of thoughts and spluttered out: ‘For Her Majesty’s kindness in bringing us collectively on this place, for thy bounty, O Lord.’ (in that order).

In subsequent years Sir Martin would tease him: ‘Have another drink, Bishop. It will steady you for the Grace.’

The Queen Mother spent her final weeks at Royal Lodge, following the funeral of Princess Margaret and she or he died there on the Saturday of the Easter weekend, 30 March 2002.

Royal Lodge is fairly totally different at present. 

Prince Andrew was granted a 75 12 months lease in August 2003 and has lived there ever since.  

 

We have change into used to paparazzi pictures of the Duke on the wheel of a Land Rover as he emerges sometimes. 

Sometimes Sarah Ferguson is there with him, and the 2 have at all times been exemplary divorced mother and father, providing a contented dwelling to their daughters and now their grandchildren. 

Beyond that, the Duke is usually driving in Windsor Great Park and he hosts the occasional capturing occasion. 

But the times of the Queen Mother’s lavish entertaining are a factor of the previous.