Even the most dedicated royal staff members at Windsor Castle encounter situations that can be nerve-wracking. Steven Kaye, who worked as a footman for Queen Elizabeth II for over three years, recounted an incident that highlights Her Majesty’s graceful response to the occasional hiccups of palace life.
Similar to many who have hosted dinner parties, the late Queen occasionally faced unexpected challenges, albeit on a much grander scale. One memorable evening, a typical formal dinner was thrown into disarray when the lights in the castle’s dining room began to flicker mysteriously.
Queen Elizabeth II calmly suggested switching to candlelight after the dining room lights flickered unexpectedly during a formal dinner.
In a practical move, Queen Elizabeth suggested they switch to candlelight for the meal. However, there was a slight oversight: no candles had been set out for the occasion.
As Kaye recounted to Slingo, “There was one occasion where the under-butler had forgotten to put candles out on the dining table…the Queen ordered that the lights be turned off and we’d just have candlelight—well, there were no candles.”
He recalled the frantic search for candles, saying, “We were then running down to one of the pantries to find some candles and bring them up while The Queen was virtually sitting in the dark.”
What stands out in this story is the Queen’s understanding nature during such mishaps. Kaye explained, “These sorts of things do happen quite a lot; with any job where perfection is required, mistakes will inevitably occur. But as long as you correct those mistakes quickly, I don’t think The Queen really minds.”
In his remarks made shortly before the monarch’s passing, the former royal footman added, “She doesn’t like sloppiness, so given that it’s an accident and not deliberate, she’s usually okay.”
