IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING PUT TOGETHER WITH THREE BITS OF DISCARDED WOOD AND THE HELP OF BLUE PETER. BUT THE SHABBY LOOKING OLD TEA TRAY, CARRYING ITS MISMATCHED CROCKERY, HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY, DELIVERING THE QUEEN'S 'BREAKFAST IN BED' AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE. GIVEN THE INFAMOUS REVELATION RECENTLY ABOUT THE MONARCH'S USE OF TUPPERWARE CONTAINERS FOR CEREAL, PERHAPS IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE THAT SHE'S HAPPY WITH THE SIMPLER THINGS IN LIFE. HER DAILY ROUTINE HAS STARTED IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THROUGHOUT HER STUNNING 58 YEAR REIGN AS QUEEN. THAT MEANS TEA, WHITE TOAST, BUTTER AND JAM, AND SOMETIMES AN OAT BISCUIT, BROUGHT UP TO HER BEDCHAMBER IN THE ROYAL APARTMENTS AT 8am, ALONG WITH A SELECTION OF THE DAILY PAPERS. APPARENTLY, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH PREFERS RYVITA AND GRANARY TOAST. THE DAILY TRAY IS PREPARED DOWNSTAIRS IN THE PALACE COFFEE ROOM, WERE NATURALLY THERE IS AN AIR OF FORMALITY. A PRINTED SIGN ABOVE THE AREA ON WHICH THE TRAY IS PREPARED READS: 'H.M. THE QUEEN & H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S BREAKFAST TRAY.' AS ANOTHER NOTICE REVEALS, STAFF ARE HOWEVER ENCOURAGED TO INCORPORATE A LITTLE VARIETY BY USING A SELECTION OF PATTERNED CROCKERY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THE 'BELOW STAIRS' REVELATIONS COME AFTER BUCKINGHAM PALACE SET UP ITS OWN TRAINING SCHEME TO CREATE A FLEET OF 'JEEVESES' WHO CAN 'BUTTLE WITH THE BEST'. LAST MONTH IT AWARDED ITS FIRST TWO DIPLOMAS FOR BUTLERS (BOTH TO WOMEN), WHICH IS NOW OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED AS A CITY AND GUILDS LEVEL 3 VOCATION QUALIFICATION. ACCORDING TO PALACE STEWARD NIGEL MCEVOY, WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE QUEEN FOR 22 YEARS AND WHOSE BRAINCHILD THE DIPLOMA WAS, A GOOD BUTLER REQUIRES 'DEDICATION AND PASSION'. THERE ARE 20 BUTLERS AND FOOTMEN AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE AND OTHER ROYAL RESIDENCES. THEIR DUTIES INCLUDE EVERYTHING FROM VALETING TO FLOWER ARRANGING, AND ANTIQUE RESTORATION.
She may treasure that tray - as it could have been made for her by little grandson David Linley the woodworker ?
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