Iole and I were discussing what the Queen has for afternoon tea. I actually don’t think she drinks fancy tea from Fortnum’s or Farrer’s, I think Tetley’s does quite nicely. And I bet she loves a plain old Digestive. If she’s going to have a sandwich, my guess is that the ham is from a Sainsbury’s packet, and that it’s served between two slices of thinly buttered Hovis bread. I’m sure Iole likes to imagine her eating strawberries and meringues and scones with clotted cream, but I’d say that rarely happens.

by Sir James Gunn, oil on canvas, 1950