Lady Anne Glenconner, a former lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, has recalled witnessing Queen Elizabeth II deliver a fierce telling-off to a young Prince William at Balmoral Castle in 1990. The anecdote appears in her forthcoming royal memoir, Trunks and Tiaras, due to be published on October 8.
Witness to a royal dressing-down
Speaking to the Daily Mail on their Palace Confidential podcast, Lady Glenconner, 94, described how she first became aware of the reprimand. She said: "Well, well, um. Princess Margaret, I think she was in her wheelchair anyway. I was waiting for her and I just heard the raised voice outside and looked out, and there was the Queen and there was Prince William on his pony."
Having noticed what was unfolding, Lady Glenconner went to Margaret seeking further details, whereupon the Queen's only sibling assured her that she would find out what had occurred. Lady Glenconner revealed that the future King had broken away from the group while riding his pony, which had caused considerable panic amongst the grooms in attendance.
Panic at Balmoral
She said: "Evidently, Prince William had been out riding with all his cousins and the grooms, and had peeled away without telling the grooms. And they had come back to Balmoral without telling them and, of course, the grooms are frantic, you know, thinking he might have fallen off or hurt his head."
"And, quite rightly, the Queen was telling him in no uncertain terms, you know, that that was not the right way to behave. It was rather like if one's child races out into the main road, you know, and grabs them and gives them a telling off, but that was all."
A later reprimand
This would not be the last occasion the late Queen would reprimand her grandson, with Hello! reporting she was "not impressed" by a 33-year-old William when he appeared alongside her at Trooping the Colour in 2016. The heir to the throne found himself in hot water after stooping down to speak with his son, Prince George.
According to the publication, the monarch is alleged to have told him: "Stand up, William." Discussing the incident, reporter Jack White said: "Her Majesty was not impressed. Clearly aware of the fact that thousands of eyes were on them, she appeared to tell her grandchild to stand up. And William did not waste any time in following granny's orders."
