Unofficial Royalty

Back in February I wrote on the reports that Prince William and Catherine were rumored to be planning to live at Kensington Palace when in London.  Those rumors have proven true, though not quite in the way anticipated at the time.  For their short-term London accommodation they have been given the tiny Nottingham Cottage in the rather more modest complex adjoining “KP” proper, literally right across the lane from Princess Diana’s old apartment.  (See:  http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/14/article-2003249-0C8C757000000578-320_964x821.jpg )

After a bit of a fix-up the newlyweds have moved their things into the modest four room and one bath “starter” home.   They are said to be slightly unhappy with a lack of privacy due to the “overlooking” windows of neighboring royal staffers.  There are also said to be some security concerns, due to the use of the adjoining Palace Green by local schools for their sports days.  But, for the time being anyway, the couple seems set to stay on.

Given the location, Nottingham Cottage will have already been somewhat familiar to Prince William.  It had previously been assigned to his Uncle and Aunt, Lord Robert and Lady Jane (Spencer) Fellowes, when the then Sir Robert served as the Queen’s private Secretary.  That may have made things a bit awkward at the time.  Stories vary as to the strain between Princess Diana and Lady Jane during Diana’s later years, even as they lived as Kensington neighbors.  (Albeit, from what I’ve found it seems that Sir Robert and Lady Jane moved into more commodious quarters in the KP complex as their family came along, so William might not actually recall them living in Nottingham Cottage.)

What I find most fascinating about the Cambridge’s new digs is the fact that Nottingham Cottage also served for several years as the home of the late Marion Crawford, the Queen’s former governess.  Before “Crawfie’s” break with the royal family, after the publication of her book The Little Princesses (copyright 1950), she had been granted the life-use of Nottingham Cottage by King George VI.  In her books (the second being Mother and Queen: The Story of Queen Mary, c. 1951) Miss Crawford tells about the cottage as it was sixty years ago, and of various visits by her former charges (Elizabeth and Margaret), Prince Philip, and even Queen Mary.  Concerning the cottage itself she wrote:

“It is a small cottage, designed by Christopher Wren.  It looks as if it had got to London quite by mistake from some distant country place.  It is built of lovely seasoned red brick, with a tiled roof and roses round the door.  It has a little square garden behind a low white paling, where snapdragons, and lavender, and scented white Mrs. Simpkins border carnations grow....  Queen Mary knew the place well, as she had been born in Kensington Palace and in other days had often been to have tea in the cottage.  Sometimes a flock of sheep are put to graze in the field over the way, and at evening the lamplighter trudges round still lighting up the old-fashioned gas lamps.  The roar of the traffic in Kensington High Street sounds thin and far-off and in springtime the voices of birds drown it altogether.”  (LP, page 203)

Crawford continues at various interspersed points, telling how Princess Elizabeth shared some of the linens she received as wedding gifts with her, and some cloth for curtains.  Princess Margaret came over to help arrange things.  Queen Mary gifted the governess with a few useful pieces of old Victorian furniture, and with some water colors of flowers that Crawfie chose to adorn the walls.  The aged Queen Mother even sent along a man to hang the pictures, and wrote out the name of a fellow on Fulham Road who was “most helpful” with repairs.

Miss Crawford also tells of a time when she was caught out by the recently married Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip just as she was about to get into the bath.  Explaining that she was bathing at such an odd hour because the old boiler was quite temperamental, Philip the sailor decided to have a look and tinkered a bit.  (She did not report whether he fixed the problem.)  Shortly before the birth of Prince Charles the quite pregnant Elizabeth called up and asked to come to tea, where she and “Crawfie” shared a favorite chocolate cake and a good chat about old times and the coming prospect of parenthood.  The sharing of such personal stories is what got Crawfie into such trouble with her former employers, but they also provide wonderful vignettes of the basic humanity of the Queen and Prince Philip as young marrieds themselves.

And now it is William and Catherine’s turn.  First homes always have a special meaning.  The bucolic setting of sixty years ago is, doubtless, greatly changed, but perhaps still somewhat discernable.  One of Catherine’s minor disappointments is said to be how tiny the garden is.  (She is said to like gardening, surely to her father-in-law’s delight.)  One wonders if, and when, “Granny” may get asked around to tea.  (Sunday tea with the Queen at Windsor is said to have been a special part of William’s school days at Eton.)  I doubt that Prince Phillip will be coming over to tinker with the boiler again.  Speculation is already rampant, of course, that the Duchess is pregnant, or soon will be.  In the meantime, mayhap they will have some fun adding a few special touches to their cozy quarters and without doubt adding some interesting tidbits to the lore of Nottingham Cottage.

Yours aye,

- Ken Cuthbertson
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