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Cawston woman who worked at Buckingham Palace
during the first half of the 20^th Century

Beatrice Ellen Etherington, born in Cawston as Beatrice Ellen Dunn on 11 October 1889, was one of the older sisters of Cecil Dunn who many senior citizens in the parish may still remember 

Shortly after leaving school my great Aunt Bee as we called her, went to London where she later married Frederick James Etherington, a railway signalman who died on 27 February 1944.  Aunt Bee lived for a long time at Chiswick in Middlesex.  After the death of her husband she moved to the district of Lambeth in southern London where she lived together with her daughter Joan.  Aunt Bee died on 28 July 1984 at the age of nearly 95.  Her daughter Joan died a few years later.

I visited Aunt Bee and Joan many times, especially when I lived in London in 1970-1971.  She was always keen to talk about Norfolk, the countryside and its people.

Aunt Bee spent most of her working life in Buckingham Palace.  She had many duties in the domestic service sector and knew Price Charles as a very young boy before she retired.  After retiring she still had contact with royalty.  On 7 October 1981 H.R.H. Price Charles and Princess Diana wrote to Aunt Bee thanking her for the contribution toward a mahogany library table which several retired servants gave to them as a wedding present. 

When Prince Charles found out about  the death of Aunt Bee in July 1984 he sent her daughter Joan a personal letter on 21 August.  A year later Charles and Diana still remembered Joan by sending her a Christmas card.

I have the originals of the two letters, the Christmas card as well as the death certificate which can be seen below.