Queen Elizabeth's in-flight rituals revealed in attendant's notes
Newly discovered notes from a British Airways flight attendant have unveiled Queen Elizabeth II's specific in-flight requests during her 1989 tour of Singapore and Malaysia. The notes, penned by Birmingham native Elizabeth Evans, offer a detailed glimpse into the monarch's flying habits. According to these records, the queen enjoyed a pre-guest martini and had a preference for Velamints brand mints before take-off.
Queen's comfort takes priority during flights
The notes reveal that Queen Elizabeth II prioritized her comfort during flights, bringing her own pillows from home. Her dresser was tasked with preparing her bed on board the aircraft. In addition, if the queen was asleep upon landing, she was not to be disturbed. As quoted from Evans's notes by Hansons Auctioneers, "If Her Majesty was asleep prior to landing cabin crew were instructed not to disturb her. She should be left in her bed."
Flight attendant's career spanned decades, catered to celebrities
Elizabeth Evans, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 70, had a distinguished 28-year career with British Airways starting in 1970. She served aboard the Concorde, the world's first commercial supersonic airliner. During her tenure, she catered to several celebrities including Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Swayze and tennis champions Billie Jean King and Virginia Wade.
Evans' career memorabilia to be auctioned off
Evans' collection of career mementos was discovered by her niece, Jo Smallwood, after her death. Smallwood expressed regret that these items had not been shared earlier, noting it was unfortunate that the treasure trove of materials about his aunt's career and experiences with BA had remained unseen. The collection is set to be auctioned off by Hansons Auctioneers with an estimated value between £400 and £600 (₹43,000 and ₹64,452 approx.) respectively.
$6 million diamond brooch at Sotheby's auction
A golden-hued diamond brooch, resembling one worn by the late Queen Elizabeth, was anticipated to fetch around £4 million (₹49.2 crore) at Sotheby's auction in Geneva in May 2024. The "Allnatt" diamond, named after its original British sportsman owner, is a rare, fancy vivid yellow stone weighing 101.29 carats. It was set by Cartier into a floral design similar to Queen Elizabeth's Williamson Pink diamond, a wedding gift she received in 1947.
