In the same year that her husband Prince Philip died, Queen Elizabeth II also lost two of her most loyal aides.
Following the death of her former Mistress of the Robes, Ann Fortune FitzRoy, the Duchess of Grafton, on December 3, the queen’s Lady of the Bedchamber since 1987, Diana Maxwell, Lady Farnham, died aged 90 last Wednesday, after 34 years as a lady-in-waiting.
Lady Farnham became the queen’s Lady of the Bedchamber in 1987, accompanying her on many tours during her 44 years of service, for which she was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1998 in recognition of her personal service.
Remembered as a “dear friend”, FitzRoy was one of only two Mistress of the Robes during the queen’s reign, and was responsible for her clothing and jewellery. The queen is also godmother to Maxwell’s second daughter.
The closest courtiers to the queen and king’s consort used to be men, and all the positions were politically motivated. It wasn’t until the Renaissance, when women played a more significant role at court, that female entourages increased in line with their power and influence.
Famously, three of Henry VIII’s six wives were ladies in waiting, with Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Catherine Howard each the lady-in-waiting to the queen they would replace.
What is a lady-in-waiting?
In Britain, ladies-in-waiting are titled noblewomen who serve not only the queen, but also high-ranking women in the royal household. Kate Middleton has one, while the queen’s sister Princess Margaret had many.
Queen Elizabeth II herself had nine before the Duchess of Grafton and Lady Farnham died, with seven remaining, including Susan Rhodes, Lady Elizabeth Leeming, The Hon Mary Morrison and Virginia Ogilvy, Countess of Airlie.
Although they do not live at Buckingham Palace, they sometimes stay there or in royal apartments in London should their duties require it.
What do ladies-in-waiting do?
Ladies-in-waiting are close, often childhood friends of the monarch, and come from titled families whose lineages stretch back alongside royalty. They act as personal assistants to the queen, assisting in day-to-day activities such as running errands, delivering messages and organising correspondence, as well as attending to personal matters, and accompanying her on royal tours and visits.
“They were dear friends who supported the queen on official duties,” a source told The Telegraph. “Unfortunately, a sad consequence of living a long life is that you have to say goodbye to a lot of people you care about.”
What do their different titles mean?
A lady-in-waiting attending to the queen is usually called Lady of the Bedchamber and they are ranked between First Lady of the Bedchamber and the Women of the Bedchamber, each carrying out various duties.
The Mistress of the Robes is almost always a duchess and the senior woman in the royal household. She is responsible for the regent’s clothes and jewellery, arranging the rota of attendance of the ladies-in-waiting and other duties at state ceremonies.
Cara Delevingne’s lady-in-waiting grandmother
British actress and model Cara Delevingne counts a royal connection in her lineage, as her maternal grandmother, Jane Sheffield, was a lady-in-waiting for Princess Margaret. The Paper Towns star’s paternal grandmother, Angela Delevingne, was also friendly with the teenage Prince Philip.
Another famous lady-in-waiting was Lady Anne Glenconner, whose husband Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner bought the island of Mustique back in 1958. She served as lady-in-waiting to her childhood friend Princess Margaret, and published a book in 2020, at the age of 87, about her experiences, called Lady In Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown.
Some of her revelations included the visit to Swaziland, where Princess Margaret and her party were housed in a brothel, and the issue of where to pin a medal, sent by the queen, on a half-naked tribal ruler. She also referred to attending to the princess' “royal moments”, such as learning to swim doggy-paddle sideways so that Margaret, doing breaststroke, could carry on a conversation with her in the pool.
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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The specs
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Power: 295bhp
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Teams
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Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
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Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
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Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
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Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
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Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
A cheaper choice
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