A Queen’s Childhood: Life at 145 Piccadilly

Princess Elizabeth sitting on a garden with her corgis. Image from Flickr

Princess Elizabeth spent much of her childhood at her family’s London home, 145 Piccadilly. They moved here shortly after her parents arrived from their six-month tour of Australia and New Zealand. Their new home was outwardly a simple-looking, five-storey stone house facing south towards Green Park and unto Buckingham Palace. Inside, though, was an opulent residence. With 25 bedrooms and an electric lift, the house boasted of a ballroom, library, and conservatory, aside from the usual reception rooms.

To maintain this residence and ensure that the family enjoyed the comfort befitting their station, the Yorks employed a butler, an underbutler, a cook, and a housekeeper to take charge of running their day-to-day domestic affairs. Their senior household staff had a steward room’s boy, whose task it was to serve them meals. Also under the family’s employ were three kitchen maids, a dresser for the duchess, a valet for the duke, an odd-job man, a night-watchman, a RAF orderly, and a Boy Scout who operated the telephone.

Princess Elizabeth was given her own space to enjoy. Her nursery floor was located at the top of the house, where she had her own retinue of attendants – Allah Knight and her own nursery maid, the young Scotswoman, Margaret MacDonald, who she affectionately called Bobo. It was Bobo who would serve as her closest attendant and confidante for the next 60 years or so.

At the nursery, the young princess had a free rein on things. Here her penchant for orderliness would take shape. She would tidy up things, arrange her toys, and line her ponies in neat rows. At night she would seat on a chair and fold her clothes. Beneath the chair her shoes were lined up. Such was her desire for an orderly space that Lady Airlie gave her a dustpan and a brush on her third Christmas, a gift that much the young royal receiver.

Life at 145 Piccadilly would begin by visiting her parents in their room right after breakfast. The rest of the morning would be spent on half-hour lessons , breaks and recreations at Hamilton Gardens. She would read before lunch and later join her parents for repast. Afternoons were dedicated to singing, dancing, music or drawing lessons. Tea would follow and she would share this with her younger sister, Princess Margaret later on. Sometimes, Uncle David (the future King Edward VIII) would join since he only lived a short walk away, at York House in St. James’s Palace. The girls, would enjoy playing an assortment of card games with him: Snapp, Happy Families, Racing Demon or Rumm. However, they would later see less and less of their uncle as he was beguiled by Wallis Simpson.

Bath time came as evening drew. In the nursery, after dinner, the family would enjoy games and pillow fights. When Allah announced it was time for the girls to go to bed, they would proceed downstairs, all dishevelled and sweating. They would bid their parents good night and the young princesses retired to their sleep.