The Queen liked to indulge in a popular alcoholic drink before meeting guests on royal flights, it has been revealed. Elizabeth Evans spent 28 years working as an air hostess for British Airways , and over the course of her career she served a number of famous people, including the late Queen and Prince Philip on their 1989 tour of Singapore and Malaysia. Elizabeth kept a number of special keepsakes from her time in the skies.
Following her death it all passed to her niece Jo Smallwood, including a manual of instructions outlining how best to take care of the royal couple. The document revealed that the Queen often ordered a martini before meeting any guests travelling with her, and that she also liked to have a bowl of Velamints at hand. Furthermore, it suggests allowing the Queen to nap before landing and ensuring that she had her own pillows.
Ms Smallwood, a retired police officer from Solihull, West Midlands, said that she knew her aunt had kept some mementoes from her career but "nothing of this scale". The collection will go on sale at Hansons Auctioneers on August 20. "Having found this treasure trove relating to my aunt's career with BA, especially the fantastic trips on Concorde and serving the Queen, I found it sad that none of it had seen the light of day," she said.
"This collection is a little piece of history that should be shared and enjoyed by somebody." The Queen, who died aged 96 in September 2022, was said to enjoy a few drinks to get her through the day, i.