Published in Windlesora 35
© WLHG 2019
Messages of sympathy from a King and two Queens to a family involved in Royal Service and Secrets of the Royal Table.
At the time of his death in 1918, Thomas George Shorter, my Great Grandfather, lived at 1 Trinity Place, Windsor. According to his obituary in the Windsor & Eton Express, among the many messages received by his widow Martha, was one from Sir Derek Keppel reading:
I am commanded by their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary to express to you their sincere sympathy with you in your bereavement. The King and Queen who had known your husband for so many years and valued his long and loyal service hope you may be given strength to bear this great blow.
Another message from General Sir Dighton Probyn read:
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra has desired me to write and tell you how very sorry she is and how much Her Majesty grieves for you in your terrible affliction.
Thomas George Shorter was born in Kent in 1844, and entered the service of Queen Victoria as a Junior Footman in 1867. As he made his way upward in royal service, he became a Sergeant-Footman in which capacity he always accompanied the Queen abroad on her visits to the French Riviera, Italy, and Germany. After the Queen’s death in 1901, he continued in the service of the new Monarch, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Some years later, Queen Alexandra presented Thomas with a gold and diamond tie-pin with a large ‘A’ in diamonds set on a large gold framework and headed with a crown also set in diamonds. On his death this passed to his son in Canada. He was decorated 14 times by various crowned heads for his personal services.
After the death of King Edward VII in 1910, he continued in the service of King George V and Queen Mary and was elevated to the rank of State Page. He finally retired in 1915 after 48 years of royal service.
Thomas George was the father of six sons and four daughters one of whom pre-deceased him. The eldest son George, and his wife Julia, became the Headmaster and Headmistress of Clewer Green School in Hatch Lane and may perhaps be remembered by some of Windlesora’s older readers. Two sons, Arthur and Frederick, followed him into royal service. Frederick eventually had control of the Wine Cellar at Buckingham Palace and Arthur’s career began as a Junior Chef in the royal kitchens. He advanced in his career, becoming a Senior Chef to King Edward VII and invariably travelling with the King whenever he used the Royal Yacht, the Victoria & Albert.
After the King’s death Arthur decided to move to Canada and with his wife, settled in Toronto where he became Head Chef at Government House. Interviewed by The Toronto Sunday World newspaper in November 1924, Arthur reminisced about the tastes of the various monarchs he had served. Apparently, Queen Victoria was particularly fond of tasty entrees and, notwithstanding the fact that a special menu had been prepared for visiting monarchs, there was always one exception and that was an entrée for Her Majesty. Milk puddings and light plain desserts were also the delight of the Queen. As is probably known Victoria was also very fond of Indian dishes and she kept an Indian Chef and three Indian Assistant Chefs. Arthur went on to speak of the joy of cooking for King Edward VII and made the comment that ‘King Edward was a man who knew how to live‘.
It is believed that King George V differed from his father in that he was a light eater who, according to Arthur, desired only plain and wholesome food. It is tempting to wonder if the thought of cooking plain wholesome food, after the extravagance of King Edward’s table, may have contributed to Arthur’s decision to move to Canada.
A separate note states this was to celebrate the marriage of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany to Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont