By Antony Clements-Thrower
A former Royal aide has shared the remarkable moment he washed up the dishes at Balmoral with the Queen helping out.
Dickie Arbiter, the late monarch’s Press Secretary for several years, was, invited to a private lunch with her majesty and her husband, Prince Philip . At the end of the meal he cleared the plates and took them through to the kitchen where he rolled his sleeves up to start the washing up.
To his shock and delight he was joined by his boss who insisted on doing the washing - if he did the drying up.
He told True Royalty TV: “When I arrived at Buckingham Palace , my boss said to me, 'you've been invited to Balmoral for a dine and sleep to meet the Queen'. There were only four of us at this lunch - The Queen, her lady-in-waiting, Prince Philip and myself.
“It lasted about 45 minutes, with china plates, silver cutlery and Tupperware that we helped ourselves from. At the end of it, the Queen said, 'We've got to clear up' and I took it as my cue as the junior flunky to do the washing up.
“So I went into the kitchen and started washing up. I heard this footfall behind me and assumed it was the lady-in-waiting coming to give me a hand. I said over my shoulder without even turning, 'Okay, I'll wash you dry'. This very familiar voice behind me said, 'No, I'll wash, you dry'. It was the Queen.
“So she plunged her hands into the fairy liquid - no gloves - and I did the drying up. It was quite an experience to actually do a bit of domesticity with a head of state."
In another unforgettable encounter with the monarch, Dickie shared the Queen had an opinion on his choice of attire for one meeting. He had visited the Palace for a reception, shortly before the country was plunged into lockdown in the pandemic.
He added: “While we were talking, I was about to take my leave and there was a twinkle in her eye. And something with the Queen you learned was you have to read her and reading her was seeing what was in her eyes.
"If there was sparkling, you knew something was coming up. If they were clear, then nothing was going to happen. And as I took my leave, she looked at me and she said, ‘I see you're still wearing those dreadful ties!’ We both chuckled. I had absolutely no response to that. She had the last word.”
