When Prince William was born in 1982,
I decided to send a little something to the future King of the British Empire to mark the occasion. So I drove over (this was way before ordering at Disney.com) to the gift store at Disneyland, and bought a toddler sized one of these in powder blue and sent it across the pond.Well, guess what came in the mail 3 months later! A letter of thanks on embossed paper with the seal of Buckingham Palace, signed by Hazel West, Princess Diana's lady in waiting.
~Double click on the letter for a better view~
Short, sweet, and to the point. I was a little disappointed that it didn't specifically mention the sweatshirt. For the next few years, I pored over every issue of People Magazine looking for pictures of William. I never saw him wear it. Not even once.
P.S. Just for kicks and giggles, I googled Hazel West and found this at Yvonne's Royalty Home Page (!):
Diana, Princess of Wales' Ladies-in-Waiting:
N.B.: The ladies-in-waiting are listed in alphabetical order by surname.
Mrs. George Alston-Roberts-West (née Hazel Elizabeth Margaret Cook)
Born: 23 May 1944
Parents: Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Thomas Cook and Gweneth Margaret Jones
Spouse: Lieutenant-Colonel George Arthur West (great-grandson of the 1st Duke of Westminster)
Notes:
• Extra Lady-in-Waiting from 1981.*
* Buckingham Palace announced her appointment on 25 September 1981. It was published in The London Gazette of 6 October 1981.
I would so love it if Hazel read this post and sent me a message!
7 comments:
Man, wouldn't you love to have her gig? Maybe they only put it on him for intimate suppers in the castle!
Debbie
So, is it just me or does Hazel's penmanship bear a striking resemblance to Diana's? Coincidence?? Hmmm...
She's an "extra" lady-in-waiting. So does that mean she's locked in a room writing thank you notes until one of the REAL l-i-w's gets run over by a carriage and then the extra steps in? I'm just asking. (Your gesture was soooo sweet!)
My fingers are crossed. I hope you get a reply from her.
Once again, your entry has made me smile and giggle :+D That you even thought to do this is so thoughtful and kind. Gosh I REEeeely hope you hear from her again. That would be great!!
* * * * speechless * * * (and wondering what the royals do with all the kazillion items they receive as gifts for occasions? Is it proper to donate them or what? maybe that's why castles are so big!)
Now more about Peter Jennings and how you saw your note ... PLU EASE ? !
I LOVE your stories. You are absolutely the best for sharing!
Have a super weekend -
Betty :)
I've been going through old diaries of mine and found an entry where I drew a picture of a letter I got from "Diana". It was also from Hazel West! I have no idea what happened to the letter but I wrote out the whole thing in my diary. It was the same kind of generic letter but at the time I was 12 and was convincedthat Diana had dictated the letter to Hazel. I said in my diary that it was the happiest day of my life! When I googled Hazel West, your entry on your blog came up. How funny! I wish I had that letter still! (People sell them on eBay!) What a hoot!
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