While the late Queen Elizabeth II had a good reputation for treating her staff well, it appears the same could not always be said for her sister, Princess Margaret. As a senior member of the Royal Family, Margaret was entitled to have staff at her beck and call, and it seems that she did not always treat them most pleasantly.

This was revealed by a former maid at Kensington Palace, who worked at the royal household in the 1950s. The maid, who has not been named publicly, reportedly told royal author Tom Quinn that she was told not to look at Margaret or to speak to her unless spoken to. The maid was also told to move aside and look down if she met the princess in a corridor.

However, the maid recalled one incident that showed that while Margaret could come across as stern, she was also more vulnerable than she looked on the outside.

The source said: ‘She bit my head off once – I can’t remember why, but I had muddled something.

“Anyway, I was very young at the time and felt instantly tearful. She must have noticed because she said: ‘Take no notice of me. I’m just a bad-tempered old devil who can’t help it.’

“I’ve never forgotten that because it was the only time I saw her more vulnerable side.”

As well as sometimes taking on a harsh tone with staff, Margaret – who sadly died in 2002 – was also known for being quite demanding.

In a Royal Servants documentary, a former palace aide said the princess was a chain smoker to the point where she would reportedly demand a staff member stand next to her with an ashtray.

Author Anne de Courcy also once said that the princess often treated staff “inconsiderately” and had “maddening demands”.