Queen Mother owned ‘only two pairs’ of stockings but was ‘definitely not frugal’

It has been reported that the Queen Mother was so thrifty that she only had two pairs of stockings and alternated between them.

The unexpected disclosure was made in a 1946 letter by Marion Crawford, who served as Princess Margaret’s and Queen Elizabeth II’s governess.

The schoolteacher, who was born in Scotland and was affectionately known by Elizabeth as “Crawfie,” worked for the Royal Household from 1932 to 1947.

Crawford shared the Queen Mother’s unassuming character in a letter on August 16, 1946, to Colonel Robert Wynn-Hughes, who left the military for the stocking business.

She wrote: “Dear Col. Hughes, Many thanks for changing the stockings.

“The others are a lovely shade. I am enclosing one that has laddered but I really do not think you can do anything with it.

“If you cannot, just throw it away, as I think they have worn exceptionally well.

“Her Majesty has been wearing her only two pair alternately, so I think it is very good for them to have lasted so long.”

This indicates the Queen Mother intended to lead by example and avoid preferential treatment when stockings were rationed during World War Two.

Philip Allwood, senior partner at Moore, Allen and Innocent, said: “World War Two meant there was rationing for items like stockings and the Queen Mother obviously wanted to lead by example in that regard.

“One imagines Queen Victoria had dozens of pairs, although they were not in wartime.”

However, royal fans disagree with the claim that the Queen Mother was “frugal” during her lifetime.

Twitter user @Billybingbong2 said: “The Queen Mother lived a very extravagant lifestyle.

“She wasn’t broke of course, she had plenty of assets, but her lifestyle far exceeded her income. She lived as though she was still in the Edwardian era and had a huge household.

“The Queen topped up her sovereign grant allowance for decades. She definitely was not frugal.”

Similarly, @ProRoyalFamily wrote: “I love the Queen Mother but she was not frugal. If she did really own two pairs, I don’t think it was for frugal reasons.”

The Queen Mother died aged 101 in March 2002, just one month after her youngest daughter Princess Margaret died.