The Queen – a working royal at the grand old age of 96 - is a busy lady; she needs her sleep. So what’s her evening routine, and can it help us all?
The stroll of a sovereign: Reports have suggested that when the Queen is struggling to sleep, she takes a walk around the palace. One of these strolls ended up more eventful than anticipated; a Times 2017 articledescribes ‘a most curious royal incident’, in which a guard mistook the Queen for an intruder while she walked the grounds, exclaiming, "Bloody hell, Your Majesty, I nearly shot you!"
Royally appropriate nightwear:
Of course, we can’t be sure exactly what the Queen wears to bed, but we do have the recollections of a rather unlikely insider. Michael Fagan broke into the Monarch's bedroom back in 1982 and, in a 2020 interview he recalled "Her nightie was one of those Liberty prints and it was down to her knees".
HRH Hot Water Bottle:
A 1992 Vanity Fair article reveals that our monarch always takes a hot water bottle with her on her travels. While we mortals would need to prepare and place our own, Her Majesty’s is filled and slipped into bed ready for her arrival.
Nightcap fit for a Queen:
Margaret Rhodes, the Queen’s late cousin, once revealed that Her Majesty enjoys a glass of champagne every night before she turns in for the night.
While Margaret didn’t elaborate on which champagne the Queen is partial to, Bollinger, Krug, Lanson and Pol Roger have all been granted royal warrants over the years.
Of course, we at The London Sleep Company regularly advocate for avoiding alcohol in the pursuit of a good night’s sleep. But you can do what you want if you’re the Queen…right?
Read like a royal:
Many of us enjoy reading before bed, and the Queen is no different. If you’re looking for a blue-blood approved book list, try something by Dick Francis, author of horse-racing inspired mysteries!
The noble number:
The Queen is reportedly tucked up in bed by 11pm, ensuring a solid eight and a half hours of sovereign sleep before her alarm goes off at 7.30am, signalling the start of another day as head of state.
So if you want to be fit to attend almost 300 official engagements annually, maybe take a few tips out of Elizabeth’s book and sleep like a sovereign!