Royal Nannies – Past and Present
As the coronation approaches and the country gets ready to crown Charles its King, Nannytax is taking a look back at royal nannies from the past. Most royal children had a nanny, governess, or caregiver that helped with their upbringing. Join us as we take a look at 5 of the most acclaimed nannies employed by the British Royal Family!
Marion Crawford
Marion was a teacher, hired by the Queen’s Mother as nursery governess in 1932. Nicknamed ‘Crawfie’ by the Queen and Princess Margaret, the two sisters became extremely close to her. She even lived rent-free in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace after retirement. However, her relationship with the royal family ended abruptly when she wrote a newspaper article about her royal employers followed by a book ‘The Little Princesses’. Her betrayal as a servant in the royal household who broke confidentiality saw her banished from royal circles and forced to move back to Scotland.
Mabel Anderson
Employed by the royal family from 1949 to 1981, the Queen first enlisted the help of Mabel when Prince Charles was a baby. During this time, she worked up to six nights a week. Charles once referred to his nanny Mabel as ‘a haven of security’ and in 2010 the Queen personally invited her on the Hebridean Princess Ship for her summer cruise around the Western Isles.
Olga Powell
Although one of the sternest royal nannies, Nanny Olga Powell has often been credited by Prince William for her incredible emotional support. She primarily cared for him when he started boarding school and when his parents went away. William paid his respects to his beloved childhood-nanny by attending her funeral in 2012.
Tiggy Legge-Bourke
Tiggy was hired by Prince Charles as a Personal Assistant and a nanny to William and Harry after his separation from Diana. Tiggy was labelled as more of a big sister than a nanny as she was often pictured having a lot of fun with the young princes. However she was often slandered for her choices, particularly when pictured with the boys abseiling without helmets and safety lines. Despite this, both brothers adored Tiggy. Her son Tom played a part in William and Kate’s wedding and Harry took Meghan to meet her personally in her home city of Cardiff before their big day.
Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo
A Norland trained nanny of Spanish heritage and one of the most famous royal nannies to date. Maria works full-time for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge caring for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The children are thought to be enjoying an outdoorsy upbringing with regular gardening activities, dog walks and bike rides. Maria is often identified by her distinctive Norland brown uniform but this is only worn to official affairs. Norland nannies employed by the Palace such as Nanny Maria are required to have at least 10 years experience. Dubbed ‘Mary Poppins-meets-James Bond’, her background has taught her everything from defensive driving to cyber security. We think she sounds like the perfect nanny for an heir to the throne!