Ex-Butler Recalls Awkward Moment He Teased Queen Elizabeth About Her Slippers in Her Bedroom
Former royal butler Paul Burrell tried to lighten the mood after walking in on the Queen experimenting in her bedroom—and it didn't go well.
The late Queen Elizabeth was known for her cheeky sense of humor, but as human as she was, she wasn't always in the mood for a joke. Former royal butler Paul Burrell learned this the hard way after trying to lighten the mood during an awkward encounter in her bedroom. Spotting the Queen trying on the heavy Imperial State Crown while dressed in a low-key outfit and pink slippers, Burrell made a lighthearted pub joke—only to leave her confused and, by his account, less than amused.
As reported by Marie Claire, Burrell recalled being tasked with bringing the Imperial State Crown to the Queen on a red cushion the night before the State Opening of Parliament. The Queen was known to wear the crown jewels around the house to get used to balancing their immense weight. The former royal butler recalled, "On one evening, I went into her [the Queen's] room, and the room was in pitch black. And I stood there in the doorway. She'd rung her bell to say goodnight." He revealed that she was sitting at her desk wearing the Imperial State Crown, and her lamp meant the "facets of all the diamonds and emeralds and sapphires were shooting in my direction."
That being said, he recalled his reaction upon seeing her trying on the crown, casually dressed in her pink slippers, to which he told the late monarch that her ensemble was "a sign of a monarch and a mother all rolled into one," adding, "It would make a very good pub name. The Crown and Slippers." Noting the Queen's confusion, he continued, "I don't think she found that very amusing. She didn't understand pub names." When she asked why he was smiling, Burrell replied, "Your Majesty, if only your people could see you now."
In another hilarious near-miss, Burrell admitted he was once tempted to try on the coveted Imperial State Crown—only for the Queen to almost catch him in the act. The encounter happened while the crown was in her private quarters ahead of an official event. "The Queen had a long dressing mirror in her bedroom," Burrell revealed. "So, on one occasion, I went in there, I looked at the Crown, I looked at the dressing mirror, and I thought, 'Dare I?' And just at that moment, The Queen came through the bedroom door." Had he actually put it on, Burrell would have felt the literal weight of the monarchy; the Imperial State Crown weighs a hefty 2.3 pounds (1.06 kg) and is encrusted with a staggering 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and 4 rubies.
