If most of us were the queen, we would never pick up a vacuum, mop, or sponge again, but Queen Elizabeth II was built differently. Even though she had an entire staff whose jobs were to keep everything neat and tidy, the queen loved to roll up her sleeves, slip on a pair of rubber gloves, and do the dishes. In fact, she did the dishes after many a meal. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famously upset by the monarch after a barbecue at Balmoral, during which Prince Philip had cooked and the queen began cleaning up. She couldn’t bear the queen waiting on her, so she kept leaping up. Finally, the queen said, “Could someone tell that woman to sit down?” Former press secretary Dickie Arbiter, who worked with the queen for many years, also witnessed her washing dishes at her Highland home. Washing dishes might feel like drudgery to many people, but it’s a very normal activity for most, and that’s what made it so appealing to the queen. By getting her hands wet and sudsy, Elizabeth could feel like a regular person, if only for a moment.
