A fascinating account of what it was like to stay at the Castle of Mey, owned by the Queen Mother.
The Castle of Mey was the only property the Queen Mother ever owned and she would spend every August there surrounded by members of her Household and staff, and a number of guests. Jeremy first stayed there in the late 1970s while serving as Her Majesty’s equerry and on many occasions thereafter as one of her guests.
This presentation is based on personal experience and cannot be described as an academic study. It is a fascinating account of what it was like to stay at the Castle of Mey, not just for those lucky enough to be invited as guests but also for the royal hostess.
How to book this event:
No booking is required. Please arrive before 7.20pm to allow time to sign in.
For non-members we suggest a donation of £8 per lecture.
THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mr Jeremy Mainwaring-Burton
On leaving Durham University with a degree in geology I decided to join the Army. I then spent five years in the Irish Guards, the last two and a half of which were on secondment to Clarence House as the Queen Mother’s equerry.
Being a geologist I couldn’t help but notice the magnificent gemstones in the Queen Mother’s jewellery. Indeed if I admired a piece she would sometimes take it off and give it to me to have a closer look. This inspired me to study gemmology and on leaving the Army I qualified as a Fellow of the Gemmological Association. Then, in addition to working as an exploration geologist in South Africa and a gold miner in California, I spent several years as a jewellery and precious stone dealer in London’s Hatton Garden.
When the Queen Mother died in 2002 I helped open the Castle of Mey to the public and what was supposed to be a six-week appointment turned into six years. As a result I spent more time at the Castle of Mey than its royal owner ever did, and developed it as one of northern Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions.
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