Daily Mail - Daily Mail Weekend Magazine
ROYAL REVELATIONS YOU THAT’LL MAKE CRY LAUGH AND
Love, loss, triumph, tragedy – the royals have been through it all during the past 25 years. And we’ve been through it with them, as these priceless quotes show...
‘Margaret was quite a flirt, and maybe there was a time when she was lonely. I think she and the Earl of Snowdon were very suited. He loved all the royal stuff at the beginning, but I think he got bored with it. Princess Margaret said to me, “Tony wants me to cook and I can’t. I’ve not been brought up to do it.” I think he wanted to be alone with her, but she’d never been alone. She’d always had a dresser and butlers. She’d never even eaten a meal alone. When they were courting they would meet at a flat which belonged to a friend of Tony’s, and she found that informality romantic and exciting. But once married, she wanted to live in a style she was used to.’ (June 2002)
‘In Swaziland for King Sobhuza’s 80th birthday, the king wore just a leopardskin loincloth and the princess spent ages fumbling around his groin area trying to pin some medals on. Afterwards she said, “I’m going to tell my sister I’m not going to pin any of her honours on people who are not properly dressed.” Then she laughed her head off.’ (June 2002)
‘I used to take the princess’s breakfast up to her when she stayed at my Norfolk home, but once she arrived with her own kettle and said, “I’m going to be self- contained.” I’ve a photo of her washing my car wearing a pair of rubber gloves. She also loved washing up and dusting. She said if she’d been a servant she would have been a housemaid, as she’d have been no good in the kitchen.’ (June 2002)
‘We had a house party and I went for a walk with Roddy Llewellyn and he told me he thought the princess was wonderful and that he had never seen such beautiful eyes. I said, “Don’t tell me, tell her.” I thought, “Heavens! What have we done?” I comforted myself with the thought that they wouldn’t see much of each other again. But I had noticed the chemistry as they played gin rummy together.’ (June 2002)
‘After her strokes she had stopped eating and I had tea with her. I encouraged her to eat a jam tart. When I came downstairs, the Queen appeared and asked how I had got on. I told her and she said, “A jam tart?” and was very pleased.’ (June 2002)
RODDY LLEWELLYN ‘It is tempting to write the truth about me and Margaret, but it would be misinterpreted. So I just have to go on living with all this rubbish which is regurgitated. One is far better keeping a dignified silence. It is the only way I know I can live with myself.’ (July 2000)
‘We all worry about Margaret. It’s interesting that all her friends are 100 per cent loyal.
And I know who all her friends are.’ (July 2000)
VISCOUNT LINLEY
‘My mother has a magnificent seashell collection from all
‘There can’t be anything much wrong with following your heart, can there? But then perhaps one shouldn’t.’ RODDY LLEWELLYN (July 2000)
over the world. She likes setting them out and washing them all. She has an incredible knowledge of each one.’ (March 1999)
‘As a parent my mother was incredibly loving and knowledgeable and enthusiastic and witty and stylish. Then her fantastic mind began to fade.’ (March 2003)
‘Although she’s the Queen, she’s my grandmother, and we don’t have a different relationship because of who she is. She knows all my horses and likes to know what’s going on.’ (February 2004)
PRINCE PHILIP, when he gave Margaret away, as revealed in a piece on royal weddings: ‘Up socks! Everything’s going to be fine!’
RUPERT EVERETT (below right) ‘I was friends with one of
Princess Margaret’s ladies-in-waiting and we all went to the theatre. Margaret’s nickname for me was “Leggy”. In the interval we went to this room in the theatre with a loo off it. I went to have a pee and, once inside, I couldn’t manage it because she was standing outside the door. Then she started saying, “Come on, Leggy,” and banging on the door like an old pub drunk. I was desperate to go all the way through the second half.’ (July 2014)
‘I went to the rugby World Cup but no, I’m not going out with Mike Tindall. Because I’m single at the moment, I’m paired off by the press with every bloke I stand next to. It could be someone else next week. It’s more annoying than flattering, actually.’ (February 2004)
‘Me, a royal rascal? Why is it me who always gets the blame? We all get on very well, my cousins and I.’ (October 2001)
‘When I do crosscountry riding I’m quite superstitious and have to wear my lucky socks with flying pigs on. I’ll have to get new ones because they’re getting worn out.’ (February 2004)
‘Whenever I’m with my grandmother and great-grandmother and they’ve got a runner, we sit down to watch the racing on telly and we all egg them on. My granny is great fun.’ (October 2001)
‘I did have a tongue stud, I just decided I wanted one, but there wasn’t the fuss that people made out – no one objected, but people think I took it out earlier than I did!’ (October 2001)