Joanna Lumley unveiled Queen's 'second-hand' practices before 'espouse frugalness' claim
JOANNA LUMLEY unveiled the Queen employed several "second-hand" practices before Her Majesty's "espouse frugalness" was explained.
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The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 74, is currently editing a book about Queen Elizabeth II ahead of her Platinum Jubilee next year. She urged the public to contact her with memories about Her Majesty to be used in A Queen Of For All Seasons, which comes out in October. Lumley has had a number of experiences with the Royal Family herself and in one interview revealed details about their thriftiness that many may not know.
Earlier this year, the TV star took a swipe at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry by stating she had “no interest” in them at all.
Lumley claimed to be disinterested by Megxit - a term coined to describe the Sussexes move away from the Royal Family - and admitted she was “not really” following it.
Her remarks on Chopper’s Political podcast in March, shocked many because they followed the Sussexes’ interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During the tell-all, a number of allegations were made about the Royal Family that some feared would create the “worst constitutional crisis in 85 years”.
The comment referred to King Edward VIII’s abdication in 1936 after he chose to leave the Firm to marry US divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Lumley admitted she chose not to keep with what Meghan and Harry had told Oprah.
She revealed the reason behind ignoring them was that she found it “all ghastly”.
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Prior to Lumley’s surprising remarks, she offered insight into what it was like to live in the royal residences.
The actress described Clarence House as being more like a “family home” than a palace.
Lumley visited the residence alongside other A-list celebrities, including Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.
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They travelled to Clarence House to read Twas The Night Before Christmas for a charity video.
During an interview on Good Morning Britain last year, Lumley said she felt “so welcome” at Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s home.
She thought it was very comfortable and had a “warm and friendly feeling” during her stay.
In 2019, Lumley described Her Majesty as “the make-do-and-mend Queen” after a visit to Buckingham Palace.
She revealed the monarch did not like to throw things away and often found ways to repurpose old items.
Lumley told Good Housekeeping: “The bed you sleep in is second hand, the bed linen is second hand… And that’s Buckingham Palace!”
She recalled her experiences at the Queen’s residence during a campaign to discourage people from buying single-use plastic.
Lumley said: “People say, ‘You must need new things?’ when you go to stay at Buckingham Palace.
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“Guess what? You eat off second-hand knives and forks.”
She claimed Her Majesty had also upcycled “moth-eaten” bedsheets and turned them into cushion covers.
Lumley took inspiration from the Queen’s eco-friendly decisions and hoped to encourage the public to do the same.
She said: “If it is good enough for the Queen, treasures, it’s good enough for me.”
The actress’ claims aligned with remarks made by royal commentator Adam Helliker.
He felt one of the most “heartening” things “to learn” about the Queen was her “espouse frugalness in royal households”.
In 2019, Mr Helliker told Fabulous magazine that she continues “to get good use from the bedspreads she rescued from the former Royal Yacht Britannia”.
The vessel was decommissioned in 1997 – but the Queen salvaged all she could to reduce costs for the Royal Family.
Mr Helliker also described Her Majesty as a practitioner of “mend-and-make-do”, which stemmed from the frustration of living in “a materialistic world”.
To share memories of the Queen for Joanna Lumley’s new book, visit here.