WHY GUESTS HAD TO WOLF DOWN DINNER

AT HOME, the Snowdons’ life was so hectic their servants, always hard-working, were beginning to feel the strain. Neither Margaret nor Tony would hesitate, on their way out to a party, to say: ‘By the way, there will be eight for dinner tonight after the theatre,’ meaning that chef, kitchen man, butler and footman would be on duty until midnight — ensured by the washing up alone, done by the footman as the butler felt that it was not part of his duties. The head housemaid and under-housemaid worked hard at cleaning from 7am-1pm, remaining on duty until 8.30 or 9.30pm, with two or three hours off on some unspecified days of the week. Only if the children, their nanny and a nursemaid were away for the weekend were Saturday afternoons and Sundays free. The Princess’s private secretary eventually pleaded: ‘Would it be possible for there to be one day in the week (say Wednesdays) when you did not entertain?’ At dinner parties, where naturally Margaret was served first, she would begin to eat straight away and, a quick eater, finish quite a long time before the others. As protocol forbade anyone continuing to eat after the Princess, those who could not bolt their food often got only half a dinner. It was the same with departure times: no one could leave before she did and if she wanted to stay until 4am — as she often did — everyone else also had to.