Anyone might find an invitation to a historic royal residence intimidating - never mind a teenager. But that’s exactly the scenario a 14-year-old Tanya Rose found herself in when fellow Gordonstoun pupil, Prince Edward, invited her to Sandringham House.
The pair became friends at the Scottish boarding school which Edward's father Prince Philip had also attended. Recalling the memory of her visit in a recent podcast appearance, Tanya - now a PR expert - described the "terrifying" first night when she found herself alone with the royal women.
Fortunately, the late Queen Elizabeth showed her motherly instincts and immediately helped put her at ease, with Tanya praising her as "divine".
Speaking on Amanda Wakeley’s Style DNA podcast, Tanya explained, "I was 14, and Edward invited me to Sandringham just after Christmas, so it was just me who was not family".
On the first night with the Royal Family, she was separated from Edward when the “ladies [went] into another room" after dinner. Finding herself alone with Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, the Queen Mother and Princess Diana, Tanya was - understandably - "absolutely terrified".
However, "the Queen was so divine because she knew I was nervous,” Tanya continued. "So she started doing impressions of her groom and just being so sweet to me. She was lovely."
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Even before Tanya made it to Sandringham, she was aware that things were going to be quite different. She chatted about the detailed dress code that was required, and how it led to her father questioning why they even sent her to Gordonstoun at all.
She said, "I remember it was four days I was there. Four long dresses, four outfits for breakfast, four outfits for tea, shooting things, Barbours, Wellington boots. And I didn't grow up like that. I mean, I did not have that wardrobe, so we had to go out and buy everything."
But this led to a sweet moment, where Tanya got to show off her mother’s "pride and joy", and it seemingly gained the approval of the Queen Mother.
"My mother lent me this pearl fake necklace of hers that she had bought in Fenwick. It was her pride and joy. And the first night, I remember the Queen Mother saying to me, "Is that a family heirloom? And I said, 'Well, my mummy did give it to me', but I didn't say it's from Fenwick".
Queen Elizabeth, who was praised throughout her historic 70-year reign for putting people at ease, might have instinctively looked out for the teen, but Tanya alleges that someone else noticed an awkward gaffe. She remembers being seated with King Charles on one side of her and Prince Philip on the other.
"Everyone had a pot of coffee in front of them and I wanted some sugar. And we all had a little salt thing in front of us and I thought it was sugar," she said. "So I put two things in my cup. And Charles said, 'What an extraordinary thing to do… You just put salt in.'"
