Air Travel Fit for a Queen: Elizabeth II's Hidden List of In-Flight Comforts Uncovered for First Time
Queen Elizabeth II had a long list of demands to be met before she would fly across the globe to 'shake thousands of hands.'
The late Queen Elizabeth II is estimated to have traveled some 1.1 million miles during her historic 70.5-year reign, and apart from her beloved yacht Britannia, most of these miles came from flying.
A note kept by former flight attendant Elizabeth Evans, detailing some of the late Queen Elizabeth II's in-flight requests, is now set to be auctioned as part of a larger sale.
Evans' note offers a rare glimpse into the habits of a monarch who made 285 official overseas trips as she reigned over Britain and the Commonwealth throughout multiple generations.
The Queen made it a habit of always ensuring she had a route map for the journey laid out in front of her in the sitting area she shared with her consort, Prince Philip. In addition to this follow-along, Her Majesty requested sugar-free mints, random martinis no matter the time of day, and pillows from one of her multiple royal palaces or castles be kept near her at all times while flying.
The requests in the memo detail Evans' itinerary notes for the Queen's tour of Singapore and Malaysia in October 1989. Evans worked for British Airways for 28 years starting in 1970 and amassed a collection of memorabilia from her career. Among her keepsakes are menu cards and autographs from some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Rod Stewart.
The former attendant also revealed how the monarch listed certain times that guests could visit her in the private compartment she shared with her husband, and attendants were always to ask Her Majesty the type of wine she wanted with dinner.
The noise was to be kept at a minimum at all times during the flight, and in keeping with royal protocol since medieval times, nobody was allowed to eat before the Queen.
"If Her Majesty was asleep prior to landing, cabin crew were instructed not to not disturb her. She should be left in her bed," the memo also revealed.
The note is expected to earn the estate of Evans, who died in 2017, anywhere from 400 to 600 pounds when bidders at Hansons Auctioneers list their highest offers on August 20.
"Elizabeth must have been extremely highly regarded by BA because she served some of the most important people in the world," the auction house's owner shared. "Take that 1989 British Airways royal flight. Her memorabilia includes confidential instructions on how to care for our late Queen and Prince Philip — right down to the sweets Her Majesty preferred on take-off."
As the second anniversary of the late monarch's death approaches on September 8, one royal insider praised how "so much previously unknown information is coming out about the Queen and Prince Philip."
They added: "It is such a long, historic reign during an era when people documented everything via TV, film, newspapers, and now smartphones. As the years go on, I think we will see more and more of these revealing mementos surface from all those decades she reigned."
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Daily Express reported on the auction.
