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Woman & Home
Woman & Home
Lifestyle
Caitlin Elliott

The Queen's seriously precise bath time routine that involved a thermometer and a cup of tea

Queen Elizabeth II.

The late Queen Elizabeth II had a super strict bath time routine that involved very precise temperature and depth measurements and a cup of tea, according to a royal expert. 

Her Majesty the Queen is said to have included a bath in her morning routine, after waking up at 7.30am and enjoying a cup of tea and listening to BBC Radio 4. 

A royal expert has detailed how the monarch, who reigned for over 70 years before passing away in September 2022, would make sure the water for her bath was at the optimum temperature by having a member of staff at Buckingham Palace use a thermometer to ensure it was just right. 

Writing for the Daily Mail back in 2018, royal author, Brian Hoey, explained, "While Her Majesty is enjoying her first cup of tea, her maid will go into the adjoining bathroom to draw the bath, which has to be exactly the right temperature: tested with a wooden-cased thermometer."

Brian added that the bath was to be "no more than seven inches of water" for Her Majesty, who was also keen on a certain 52p sandwich filling

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Brian also reported how Her Majesty's outfit of the day would be prepared and laid out for her in her dressing room next door, which was completed with some incredible mirrors that no doubt made analysing her fashion choices from every angle nice and easy. 

"While the Queen is in her bath, one of her three dressers, under the supervision of Angela Kelly, the Queen’s Personal Assistant and Curator of her Wardrobe, lays out the first outfit of the day in the adjacent dressing room with its floor-to-ceiling mirrors and walk-in wardrobes," he penned. 

And the monarch's signature hairstyle was preened each morning by a pro, with Brian writing, "Once the Queen has dressed, her hairdresser brushes and arranges her hair in the style that hasn’t changed in decades."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Queen's love of a dip in the tub is something that her sister, Princess Margaret, shared - and showers were never on the cards for her. 

According to royal expert Craig Brown, Margaret's penchant for bath time stemmed from a desire to avoid washing like non-royal members of the public who had to rush out of the house to make it to their jobs in the morning. 

He once told W Magazine, "She always took a bath because she and other royals believe showers are for people who are rushing out the door to get to work."

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