Throughout her lengthy reign, the Queen, who rose to the throne in 1952, was praised for her elegance and elegance. But even she had to put aside the sparkle and glitter of royal life on occasion. In the winter of 1981, an unexpected blizzard compelled the monarch to spend the night in a public B&B and dine at the adjoining bar, far from her regular life of luxury.
The Queen was on her way back to Windsor Castle after seeing her daughter, Princess Anne, when her convoy was caught off guard by a sudden snowfall.
Due to the massive snow drifts caused by the unusual storm, the Queen was forced to stay at the Cross Hands Hotel in Old Sodbury, Gloucestershire.
The associated drinking establishment was then run by 42-year-old Roberto Cadei, who served the monarch some pub fare while she waited for her workers to clear the snow.
In the recent Channel 5 series ‘Secrets of the Royal Palaces,’ the landlord remembers serving Her Majesty.
They brought her tea, and later she called and said she wanted an evening supper, he claimed on the show. So he had to take the order, walk down to the kitchen, make it, and bring it upstairs to serve her.
Clearly, it wasn’t like being at Buckingham Palace.
They gave it their all. They did anything she desired. She chose anything from the menu. He advised her to get what she desired.
They provided, served, she ate, and that was the end of it.
Despite serving the Queen, Roberto has never divulged whether Her Majesty ate a pie, sausage and mash, or another pub classic.
He knew what she had, but never informed anyone, he said in the documentary.
Roberto told The New York Times a year after his royal meeting that he couldn’t imagine anybody would be out in terrible weather.
Heather, Roberto’s wife, revealed to The Times what Her Majesty wore while staying at the B&B.
She must have been the only lady who ever welcomed the Queen in her old blue trousers and hoodie, she explained.
There was no time to be worried or fussy. She merely made her a cup of tea and set the table for her.
The Queen entered her room stealthily through a rear entrance of the hotel to avoid other guests.
Colin Tebbutt, a former royal protection officer who was traveling with the monarch, recalled how he instructed the servants to accommodate Her Majesty.
There was a man sweeping the steps, he explained. He pulled out his warrant card and explained who he was, what he was doing, and that he didn’t want any backchat.
‘Secrets of the Royal Palaces’ is now streaming on My5.
