Queen Mother's frugal ways

May 17, 2010, 12:25 GMT

Britain's late Queen Mother was reportedly frugal with her spending before her death.

A former member of staff has claimed that the late Queen Mother - who was worth £70 million - reportedly watched the pennies and chose to keep an ancient rental TV rather than buy a new one.

Ashe Windham, her equerry at the castle, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "The Queen Mother was, in many ways, quite frugal in her way of life. She was 14 when the Great War broke out, and was very much accustomed to rationing.

"We would all move into the library after dinner where we would rearrange the furniture so we were all facing this ancient rental television set, which arrived every summer from a shop in Thurso."

According to Ashe, the queen - who reportedly left a £4 million overdraft with Coutts, the royal bankers when she died - led anything but the extravagant lifestyle.

He added: "I once informed the Queen Mother that the curtains in her bedrooms were falling to bits. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye and said 'I think they will last a few more years.'"

Ashe also told of how the queen wore the same raincoat for 28 years of service, calling her favourite Burberry jackets - "old friends".