We no longer live in a world with either Queen Elizabeth II or the superfast jet known as the Concorde. But years ago, Queen Lizzie used to jet around the world at supersonic speeds drinking a martini and freshening her breath with a handful of sugar-free mints. That’s per a newly discovered document that detailed all the special accommodations given to the Queen when she flew.
The revelation is actually the story of two Elizabeths. Back in 1989, Elizabeth Evans was a British Airways in-flight hostess who was part of the crew of a chartered flight aboard the Concorde that transported QEII to Singapore and Malaysia. After her death in 2017, her family discovered a trove of mementos she had collected over her years serving aboard the legendary Concorde, including autographs from famous passengers like Rod Stewart, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Patrick Swayze. But the jewel was a set of type-written notes that detailed the Queen’s in-flight preferences.
On her rider:
- The Queen “tends to like a martini before her guests arrive.” Elizabeth was a near-daily drinker, but tended not to over-imbibe. It’s generally believed she preferred gin over vodka.
- “Velva mints. Her majesty would like a bowl of these beside her for takeoff. Also in her dressing room.” We’re not quite sure what “Velva” mints are, but perhaps this is a typo, and they meant “Velamints,” which were marketed as the first sugar-free breath mint. Interestingly, Ronald Reagan also requested those particular mints every time he flew on Air Force 1 during his presidency.
- While a bed would be provided for her, “The Queen has her own pillows.”
- Finally, if the plane landed while she was asleep, the crew was instructed not to wake her. You wouldn’t want to go through all that trouble of bringing your own pillows if you’re not going to use them, right?
Evans’s memorabilia, including the notes about the queen, is set to be auctioned off by Hanson’s Auctioneers next month, in a lot that should entice both royal and aviation history enthusiasts.
For the young among us, the Concorde was a supersonic jet that flew at about twice the speed of a commercial plane. The model’s main commercial use was for transatlantic flights between New York City and either London or Paris, but on a handful occasions Concordes owned by British Airways were chartered out to the Queen for state visits. In these cases, no commercial passengers would be aboard and the plane’s interiors were retrofitted to give the royals room to work and sleep.
The British government actually heavily subsidized the development of the planes, which never proved commercially viable (hence, why they’re no longer in service). So the Queen’s private charters were probably welcome business.
Although the Queen seemed to favor the Concorde, even she was limited in terms of their use. The planes were only used for long-haul flights over oceans, due to noise concerns. For other flights, the Queen chartered traditional airplanes. In some rare cases, she even flew commercial—though, not without some royal accommodations. Back in 1995, she flew Air New Zealand for a trip to the former British colony, and the itinerary even included a layover in Los Angeles. While other passengers were aboard, the entire first class section was blocked off for the Queen and her staff. The other passengers had to go through extra security beforehand, but were rewarded with a commemorative pen for their troubles. That’s nice, but not quite as nice as a martini and a bowl of mints.
