Former Footman Recalls the Night Queen Elizabeth Was Left ‘Sitting in the Dark’
A former royal footman, Steven Kaye, has opened up about a minor mishap that left Queen Elizabeth “sitting in the dark” during his time working for the late monarch. Despite her decades of leadership and unwavering commitment to the monarchy, even the most well-run palace can experience its share of unexpected moments.
Kaye, who served as a royal footman for over three years, revealed an incident that took place at Windsor Castle. He explained that the staff’s quest for perfection often led to minor mistakes, but they were quick to correct them. “These sorts of things do happen quite a lot,” Kaye said in an interview with Slingo. “With any job where there has to be perfection, there’s always going to be a lot of mistakes. But, as long as you correct those mistakes quickly, I don’t think the Queen really minds. She doesn’t like sloppiness, so given that it’s an accident and not deliberate, she’s usually OK.”
The incident occurred when an under-butler forgot to place candles on the dining table at Windsor. At the time, the dining room lights were flickering on and off. The Queen, preferring a simpler setting, instructed that the lights be turned off so they could dine by candlelight—only for the staff to realise that no candles had been set. “We were then running down to one of the pantries to find some candles and bring them up while the Queen was virtually sitting in the dark,” Kaye recalled.
Kaye’s journey to becoming a footman for the royal household began with a bold move—writing a letter directly to the Queen. Inspired by a documentary he had watched about life behind palace walls, he decided to take a chance. “I thought, I’m just going to send a letter to the palace and apply, see if I get a reply—I didn’t think I would,” he shared. “I wrote to the Queen and said how much I enjoyed the documentary and how might a person gain entry into Royal service.”
Surprisingly, Kaye received a response. “I was in two minds about whether to post it, but a few weeks later a letter came through the door with the Queen’s crest and stamp on. I thought it would be a thank you, but no thank you. I opened up the letter and it said we’re interested in meeting you. I rang this number and arranged to go down to Buckingham Palace.”
Kaye’s candid reflections offer a rare glimpse into the human side of royal service, illustrating how even the most meticulously managed households encounter small but memorable mishaps.