The monarch’s only daughter had to issue a stern warning to a family friend who tried to help out after a ‘grand picnic’

The late Queen wasn’t afraid to get stuck in when it came to everyday chores, and was known to pop on the Marigolds to do the washing up during her summer breaks at Balmoral Castle.

But anyone who chose to help out did so at their own risk.

Lady Anne Glenconner worked as Princess Margaret’s Lady in Waiting and, as such, was privy to seeing the monarch behind closed doors.

Writing in her book Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, Lady Anne recalled receiving a stern warning from the Queen’s only daughter when she and her husband attempted to help clear up after a summer picnic.

She wrote: “The first time we went on one of these grand picnics, Colin and I started to carry things back to the mobile kitchen, helping to clear up.

“Suddenly from behind we heard Princess Anne bellowing at us: ‘What are you doing?'”

Anne quickly explained to the royal that they were tidying things away and that she hoped they were putting everything back in the right place.

Princess Anne replied: “Well, I hope you are, because if you’re not the Queen will be bloody angry with you.”

Lady Anne continued: “The thought of the Queen being ‘bloody angry’ at us was enough to stop us helping at once, realising that the Queen took great care and that keeping everything in exact order was her first rule.”

Lady Anne Glenconner with her late husband Colin Tennant on their wedding day in 1956

Inside Lady Anne Glenconner’s relationship with Princess Margaret

Lady Anne, now 94, has enjoyed a long and special relationship with the royal family. She served as a Maid of Honour at the Queen’s Coronation in 1952, and was appointed Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret in 1973. She kept this role – accompanying Margaret on many state occasions and foreign tours – until the royal’s death in 2002.

Along with her husband Colin, Anne also helped transform the island of Mustique into a favourite retreat for the rich and famous. In 1959, they gave Princess Margaret some ten acres of land on the island as a wedding gift, and she went on to build her favourite home there: Les Jolies Eaux, which means “beautiful waters”.

Since then, Prince William and Princess Kate have become regular visitors to the Caribbean island. Privacy is paramount on Mustique, making it an ideal destination for the couple and their children.

Mustique’s ‘tight security’ makes it a royal haven

A former holidaymaker to Mustique previously told HELLO! just how strict security is. It seems to be an unwritten rule that photography is off limits, and everyone respects each other’s privacy.

“Mustique is very exclusive and press and paparazzi can’t be within a certain distance from the island, which would explain why you only see long-lens, grainy shots of the royals,” the insider said.

Day visitors are only permitted to stay on a certain part of the private island while the rest of the area is shut off to overnight guests, who have to show proof of their accommodation if asked.

“Security is really tight on the island,” the insider added. “We had hired a catamaran to tour around the Grenadines and were visiting Mustique for the day. As we were approaching the island, someone from the island’s security team sailed out and told us we weren’t allowed to bring cameras with us. It is a private island after all.

Princess Margaret shows her sister around Mustique during the Queen and Prince Philip’s visit to the island in 1977

“As soon as you dock, there are taxi drivers who you can hire to take you around and point out celebrity hotspots. They point out A-listers’ houses – we saw Bryan Adams, Tommy Hilfiger and Mick Jagger’s homes.

“We went to Cotton House Hotel, Basil’s Bar and Macaroni Beach where we spotted Jade Jagger having a swim. We also saw Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy while we were having a drink at Basil’s Bar. We also went past the sloped runway where the private jets land. It was like something out of James Bond. It was surrounded by lots of trees – it’s almost like a secret, hidden runway.”