King Charles heartbroken as Queen Elizabeth's close pal Prue Penn dies aged 97

24 November 2023 , 10:44

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Lady Penn (centre) seen with Princess Margaret (right) in 1975 (Image: PA)

A very close friend of the Royal family and one of the late Queen Mother's former lady-in-waiting, Prudence, Lady Penn has died aged 97.

Lady Penn, also known as Prue, was the widow of Sir Eric Penn, the one-time Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain's Office. The Penns served the sovereign for a total of 65 years and were very close to the whole family. Eric Penn’s uncle Arthur had been a groom-in-waiting to King George VI on his accession in 1936 and then private secretary and treasurer to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Eric Penn joined the Lord Chamberlain’s Office in 1960. Their son David was a page of honour to the Queen, as was their grandson, Rory Penn. Lady Penn became a lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother in 1994 and served until her death.

The late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with their children, including the now King Charles (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Lady Penn said in the Channel 5 documentary Elizabeth, Our Queen back in 2018: "I suppose people may now see a 91-year-old lady and forget she was once young. I remember going with her and Prince Philip to a nightclub in Leicester Square called The 400, which was the smart place to go. And we had drinks, and something to eat and we danced. She loved to do normal things like you do when you are young."

The Telegraph writes that the Queen Mother and the late Queen Elizabeth II attended the Penns’ wedding at St Mark’s, North Audley Street, on January 27 1947. Before being wed to Eric Penn, Prue had a job at the Foreign Office, which later transpired to be with MI6, alongside the famed spy Kim Philby. When in London, the Penns lived in an apartment at St James’s Palace and so likely spent lots of time with the Royals. When Princess Margaret's daughter, Lady Sarah Armstrong, was born in 1964, Pru was appointed one of her godmothers. Lady Sarah was christened in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace.

The late Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra attended Prue's 90th birthday party in 2016 and she remained close to the Queen right up to her death. The Telegraph reports that Lady Penn was a great admirer of the present King, confiding to a friend on his Accession: "Have you noticed how our new Sovereign seems to have grown in stature overnight? He looks every inch a king. I am devoted to him and know that he will take on the mantle with sensitivity, wisdom, and strength."

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Lady Penn was born January 12 1926 and died November 20 2023.

Rachel Hagan