I do hope you don’t mind my writing my thoughts on this subject, but I have been thinking & worrying about it all (possibly without cause).
With a great deal of love,
from your very loving
Mummy
20 June 1961 to Sir D’Arcy Osborne
Clarence House
My dear D’Arcy,
How kind of you to write about my broken bone.* It is a great bore because one cannot get a shoe on, & therefore I cannot hop round hospital wards, shipyards, universities, garden parties, picture galleries, boys’ schools, girls’ schools, race meetings, agricultural shows, civic centres, slum clearances, horse shows, regimental reviews, and all my usual treats!
I am so looking forward to seeing you in July. If you are arriving on the 28th, I shall be at Sandringham then, and would love it if you could come down for the weekend. It is a very easy journey, & you could have a peaceful 2 days, sitting in the garden (if fine) or in the house (if wet). Do think about it.
I was so pleased to get your letter about the Queen’s visit to Rome, and so glad it all passed off so happily. I was delighted to know that she paid you a visit and I read about it in one of the papers here, who said that ‘on leaving the house of her old friend she called out “Goodbye darling”.’ I suppose that some ever eager journalistic ears heard her say ‘Goodbye D’Arcy’!!
I have had a very busy six months – there seems to be more to do than ever, & I look forward to the clear cold beauty & peace of Scotland. Will you be coming to Birkhall? Oh do.
With so many thanks for your letter,
Ever yours,
Elizabeth R
20 August 1961 to Cecil Boyd-Rochfort
Balmoral Castle
My dear Cecil,
Thank you so much for your letter.
I greatly enjoyed my short visit to Freemason Lodge & thought that both the horses looked so well. If dear old Bali H’ai doesn’t stand training, I am sure that the best thing is to send him back to Sir Ernest, don’t you? He would arrange a de luxe journey for him, & he would sink into a petted old age in New Zealand. I suppose that leg would never stand hurdling now? He would be too strong for any lady that I know, unless it was an amateur Miss Pat Smythe!* […]
The grouse are very bad up here – & the river rather empty of fish!
I am, yours v sincerely
Elizabeth R
19 September 1961 to Queen Elizabeth II
Birkhall
My Darling Lilibet
I do want to thank you for all your thoughtful kindness over the funeral, & the journey down & back, & your understanding during those sad days.†
Darling David was so truly devoted to you, he really loved you, & would have done anything for you. He was one of the few people in the world who would tell one the truth about people or things, & if it was unpalatable, he said it so nicely that one didn’t mind. It is like a light going out in one’s life, we have always been so close, I knew what he was thinking even.
I have had such wonderful letters from all kinds of people – nobody could have had more real friends, & one feels that his life must have been greatly shortened by the unending help he gave so freely to others.
Anyway darling, it made all the difference that you came, not only to me, but to poor Rachel as well – thank you for everything from your v. loving
Mummy
20 September 1961 to Graham Sutherland
Birkhall
My dear Mr Sutherland,*
I have just been reading your letter to Ralph Anstruther, & feel that I must write you one line to say that I absolutely understand about the portrait.
When I was sitting to you in my ancient white hat (I did so enjoy the sittings), I wondered whether you would find the sort of portrait that the University wanted rather difficult to achieve, and if you do find time to finish the small work, I would be very thrilled to see it. […]
10 November 1961 to Queen Elizabeth II
Clarence House
My Darling Lilibet
I have been thinking so much of you all yesterday & today, & hope that you are not already exhausted by parades & gatherings & Mr N[krumah]! I am sure that you were right to go, & really if one listened to all the faint hearts, one would never go anywhere.*
Perhaps you would like to hear a little local news. When I got into my carriage at Paddington yesterday morning, Peter Cazalet was already there, & as we settled into our seats (including Charles) he told me that a strange thing had happened at Fairlawne, the day before. (He being safely at Newbury.)
A large chauffeur driven car arrived, in it a very pretty girl, very well dressed, who said that she had come from M. Boussac who was sending some horses over to Peter, & that Peter had said that she could look round the stables. Poor Jim (the head lad) naturally believed this & took her round the horses, and the fascinating thing is, that apparently she is the important member of a dope gang. Isn’t it extraordinary? Poor Peter was in a great stew, & all the horses have had to be changed from box to box. […]
Isn’t it extraordinary that it could be so important nowadays to nobble a steeplechaser? I thought that you would be amused & interested by this little tale of what goes on nowadays.
Peter was in a stew about Laffy, who runs at Cheltenham tomorrow, & on his running at Newbury will probably be a hot favourite. He has been changed round!
Rather a dull day’s racing yesterday – Young Rajah ran with credit behind Saffron Tartan, & some real cracks, but I did not really enjoy it. I think that I was so tired from all the worries of last week!
Charles is coming up on Sunday for lunch, & then I will take him down to R. Lodge & break the journey with tea (& eggs!). Darling, I do hope that all goes well, & I think & pray for you both all the time.
Your very loving
Mummy
13 February 1962 to Sir D’Arcy Osborne
Clarence House
My dear D’Arcy,
I am so sorry to learn from your letter which has just arrived, how poorly you have been feeling. I send you very much sympathy, for there is nothing so dispiriting as to climb back to health after ‘a turn’.
Everyone expects to get well at once, but it takes quite a time, & I do hope that you will soon feel really better.
If you eventually reach Lausanne, perhaps the wonderful doctors there will re-organize you completely, & I shall hope to see you here in July completely restored!
I am so delighted that your picture show was such a marvellous success. Thank you very much for sending me the catalogue, & I do congratulate you with all my heart.
The world staggers on, from one crisis to another, but I have a feeling that human beings are beginning to become accustomed to these rather bogus upheavals, & take them more philosophically than the slightly hysterical reporters & newscasters!
I do hope that you will soon be better,
Ever your affect: friend
Elizabeth R
1 August 1962 to Rachel Bowes Lyon
Clarence House
My Darling Rachel
I have started several times to try and tell you how deeply I felt for you when I spent that lovely weekend at St Paul’s Walden, & have torn up all my attempts to say what I feel – they were inadequate.
Your courage & faith are so wonderful, & how proud David would be of you. To carry on, as you do, to perpetuate his love of Pauly, & his understanding of people, & the important things of life, is a splendid effort, & the whole dear place is alive with David’s spirit.
I can never tell you how deeply grateful I am for your understanding of my close feeling for David. Life is very bleak without him, but I cannot bear to think of what you must be going through. He has left something so strong, hasn’t he – perhaps that is really the point of human life & living, to give, & to create new goodness all the time.
I love to think of beloved Paul’s Walden still being a centre of all these good things, & that is purely your doing.
Bless you darling Ra
chel for your giving & loving spirit – ever your devoted Elizabeth
7 February 1963 to Sir D’Arcy Osborne
Clarence House
My dear D’Arcy,
Your perfectly heavenly picture of Birkhall is giving me the greatest pleasure, and I do want to thank you with all my heart for giving me something so very nice.
Dear Birkhall, with the little river running by, & the great metropolis of Ballater looking glamorous in the distance – I hope that you will come again this year. […]
D’Arcy, one or two of your old & loving friends have sent a small sum to your banking account in Rome, in case it might come in handy some time. They hope you won’t mind, it is just to show their true affection. […]
Ever yours,
Elizabeth R
27 October 1963 to Cecil Beaton
Clarence House
My dear Mr Beaton
It was so kind of you to send me a copy of your wonderful book of portraits of my family, and I do want to thank you for giving me such a charming present, I find it very nostalgic looking through the pages. The years telescope, & I suddenly remembered what I felt like when I wore those pre-war garden party clothes – all those years ago.
It is absolutely fascinating to look back, and I feel that, as a family, we must be deeply grateful to you for producing us, as really quite nice & real people!
The photographs are so lovely, and the whole book marvellously produced. I am sure that it will give pleasure to a great many people, & to no-one more than,
Yours gratefully,
Elizabeth R
27 December 1963 to the Duke of Leeds
Sandringham
My dear D’Arcy,
How very kind of you to give me such a lovely book for Christmas. I am thrilled with the beautiful [Augustus] John drawings & pictures, they are so exquisitely reproduced, & the book is giving me immense pleasure. I do want to thank you with all my heart for remembering me in this delectable way.
I do hope that all is going well with your extremely complicated Duchess life – I am sure that you are being wildly generous to them all, & I only hope that there will be something left for you, when you have finished with lawyers etc.
Will you be able to come over a little earlier than usual next year?
I wonder too, if you are going to take your seat in the House of Lords – what a lot of interesting extras are attached to a Dukedom!* We are a big family party here, some dear children & everyone getting on with each other!
With again my heartfelt thanks for the splendid book,
Ever your affec: friend
Elizabeth R
31 December 1963 to Sir Osbert Sitwell
Sandringham
My dear Sir Osbert,
I am so delighted to have the programme of Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra, and am so touched by your giving me such a charming Christmas present. The occasion must have been a very gala performance, with such a well bound book of the words, and the golden watered silk inside is so gay and lovely …
I do hope that you are really better?
It would be so nice to meet again, & when I return to London I shall try & find out whether you would care for a little visit.
I am going to Australia and New Zealand at the beginning of February, & return the end of March.
It is curious that fate takes me continually to Canada, Australia and N. Zealand, & tho’ I love the people, there are so many other places that I long to see.
I have never been to Spain, & only a few places in Italy, & so hardly anywhere in France, & time is getting short!
I spent a few days in Touraine in the spring, & saw some lovely places. Most of the owners suffering as we are, from lack of money, too much taxation & few servants, & most of the houses are open to the public.
At one divine house where I lunched, do you know who my host’s true English hero was?
The Duke of Bedford! How he packs ‘em in.*
With again all my thanks, ever yours very sincerely
Elizabeth R
11 February 1964 to the Prince of Wales*
Sister Agnes
My Darling Charles,
I can’t tell you how touched & delighted I was to receive your beautiful flowers, and I thought it was wonderful for you to arrange it so far away at Gordonstoun.
This is the first letter that I have written since the operation,† & that is why there is a funny little O by the date, which was me trying to get my pen to work!!
Anyway, thank you darling, simply a thousand times for the flowers, & also for your dear letter. […]
I believe that the stitches are coming out today, & I am feeling much better, so hope to be home before too long. I remember the agony you went through when laughing too much at Hattie Jacques,‡ it really does hurt!
Mummy brought Andrew to see me yesterday. He brought me a sweet little bunch of snowdrops that he had picked himself, & in return I gave him a bunch of freesias in a nice basket, which he went away clutching happily.
David§ came on Saturday. He sat on my bed & ate the grapes that he’d brought me! Quite right!
This is a very nice place, with charming nurses, but it’s very noisy. Last night the boiler got on fire at 2 am, & half the fire engines in London arrived to put it out. Greatly enjoyed by all!
I was terribly distressed at having to put off my tour, as so many people had worked so hard & so long to arrange it, but these things happen & so suddenly, & I must try & go some other time.
I do wish that the door would open, & that you would be there! But with any luck, you will be coming when Mummy has the baby,* & I shall look forward so much to seeing you then.
With lots of love & most loving thanks for the flowers & letter, from your devoted
Granny
19February 1964 to the Duke of Edinburgh
Clarence House
Darling Philip,
I was so touched to get your charming letter, and thank you most gratefully for your sympathy & good wishes. It was really quite an enjoyable experience (after the first 2 or 3 days) to be in Sister Agnes.
I felt just as if I was in a ship, my room was exactly like a rather small cabin, and one felt agreeably isolated from the madding world. Except that one night the boilers got on fire, & every fire engine and every fireman in London converged on the hospital. I narrowly escaped being pushed out of the window, but fortunately the fire was put out before I had to be ‘saved’.
It was rather an agony having to put off my tour in NZ and Australia. You know the amount of work & planning that goes on for so many months beforehand, and I really felt miserable to have to let so many people down – including the yacht.
However, there was nothing to be done about it, & perhaps lucky not to have got ill in the aeroplane!
Much love, your devoted Mama,
Elizabeth
20February 1964 to Cecil Beaton
Clarence House
My dear Mr Beaton
It was so kind of you to send me such lovely flowers & such a charming letter, and I really am most deeply touched to be remembered in this way.
The freesias are here in my room, looking so cool & so beautiful, and are giving me very real pleasure. It is very nice to be home again, but after the first day or two in Sister Agnes’, I began to enjoy being tucked away in a small cabin. One felt gloriously isolated, with endless time to think, & only the very nicest people to peer in for a few minutes. It was a truly enjoyable experience, apart from the fact that kind people sent me modern novels to read, and they were so loathsome, & so perfectly horrible, that I felt quite sick with distaste.
I think that we must be living through a moment of bad taste in many forms of art, & I hope that the English will revolt soon.
With again many thanks for your most kind thought.
I am,
Yours very sincerely,
Elizabeth R
28 March 1964 to Princess Margaret
HMY Britannia, Trinidad*
My darling Margaret
[…] I always have very bad luck with the drinks! Perhaps because I am considered a frail invalid, I am always given delicious fruit drinks with so little alcohol that one feels quite sick! Then I ask timidly if I might have just a very little gin in it, & then too much is put in, & I have to ask for a little more ice to stop my throat being burnt, & so it goes on! This usually at Government Houses, I may say! […]
Your very loving
Mummy
16 August 1964 to Princess Margaret
The Castle of Mey
My Darling Margaret
Thank you so very much for sending me that delightful & amusing group [photograph] of the christening.* Everyone looks very happy, & tho’ I look a little pale & definitely exotic in my Kenyatta hat, I think I give a touch of oriental splendour to the otherwise impeccably dressed ladies. Groups are such fun, and I study this one with enormous pleasure.
I long to hear how you are getting on, where you are staying & what you do all day. I do hope it’s being fun, and real relaxation, & very warm. Here, the weather has been grey & misty & still, until today when there is an easterly gale raging, & horizontal rain. It’s really quite agreeable sitting in a warm little room & hearing the weather crashing at the Castle, until one has to take the dogs out!
The days go by very quietly here, so there is very little to tell you. If one goes out exploring in the car, one usually finds some lovely view, or some tremendous clifflike rocks by the sea, or a dear little house which I long to buy & do up!
I want to put a ‘cap’ on a turret on top of the tower, and do ask Tony if fibre glass is strong enough to withstand gales of wind & rain? [A drawing of a tower follows, with four floors marked ‘my sitting room, my bedroom, Olivia’s† room, Suckling’s‡ room’.] And with the exquisite architectural drawing I will bring this interesting & informative letter to a close, & remain
Your very very loving Mother, Mummy
11 January 1965 to Mrs Leone Poignand Hall
Counting One's Blessings Page 56
