A newly released archive of memorabilia collected by a flight attendant has revealed the late Queen drank martinis before flying and didn’t like to be woken for landing if still asleep. The late monarch’s unique travel habits have been revealed by former flight attendant Elizabeth Evans, who served the then-monarch and Prince Philip during their tour of Singapore and Malaysia in 1989. Ms Evans was awarded a certificate to commemorate the occasion, which is now being auctioned off, along with confidential instructions for the tour, and a trove of other items from the flight attendant’s 28-year career with the airline, which also saw her attend to a string of celebrities on supersonic airliner Concorde.
The keepsakes were discovered in Elizabeth’s study by her niece, Jo Smallwood, following her death at the age of 70 in 2017. They include signed menu cards and autographs from some of the world’s biggest stars such as singers Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard, actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Swayze and Warren Beatty, and tennis champions Virginia Wade and Billie Jean King. However, retired police officer Jo, of Solihull, said it was working with royalty that provided her aunt’s ‘proudest moments’.
The 53-year-old added: ‘Having found this treasure trove relating to my aunt’s career and experiences 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. I believe this collection is .