Queen Elizabeth II would drink a martini before entertaining guests on a plane and request a specific brand of mint before takeoff, according to new notes left by a flight attendant who served her 35 years ago.
Never-before-seen notes, instructions and memorabilia left by British Airways cabin crew reveal detailed insight into the royal’s preferences, special requests and quirks during flights during his 1989 visit to Singapore and Malaysia.
Air attendant Elizabeth Evans, from Moseley, Birmingham, has detailed notes and instructions from the flight with the Queen and Prince Philip and was also presented with a certificate to commemorate her achievement. According to Hansons Auctionsis putting her collection up for auction.
The Queen “likes to have a martini before her guests arrive,” according to the note left by Evans, who worked as a cabin crew member for British Airways for 28 years from 1970.
According to the deceased flight attendant, she had requested that bowls of Bellamints be left for her before takeoff and in the dressing room.
According to notes examined by Hansons, the Queen slept on pillows she brought from home and made her bed in her dresser.
Finally, Hansons said that if the Queen was asleep when the plane landed, no one should wake her.
“If Her Majesty the Queen is asleep before landing, cabin crew have been instructed not to wake her. Her Majesty should be left in bed,” the auction house said.
Evans, who died in 2017 aged 70, flew on the Concorde, the world’s first commercial supersonic passenger aircraft, during his time with British Airways and served many famous people.
She collected menu cards and autographs from Hollywood heavyweights, including Rod Stewart, Cliff Richard, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Swayze, and tennis champions Billie Jean King and Virginia Wade.
“Her proudest achievement was serving as a Concorde flight attendant in the 1980s and 1990s, a time when everyone wanted to experience flying twice the speed of sound,” Hansons said in a release about the collection.
“Concorde was capable of traveling from London to New York in about three hours.”
Evans’ collection of memorabilia from her long career was discovered by her niece, who flew to her home in South Africa to make funeral arrangements.
“I discovered this treasure trove of information about my aunt’s BA career and experiences, particularly her incredible journeys on Concorde and her service to the Queen, and it was a shame none of it ever saw the light of day,” Joe Smallwood said.
“We believe this collection is a piece of history that should be shared and enjoyed by someone.”
The collection will be auctioned from Thursday to Tuesday and has an estimated bid of 400-600 pounds, or roughly 500-760 dollars.
“Elizabeth collected memorabilia during what was surely a fulfilling career,” said Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons.
“Her memorabilia captures the heyday of Concorde and the details of luxury travel with British Airways. Every VIP request, no matter how small, was catered for. Smoking was even permitted on board in those days.”
