She was the ‘no nonsense’ Scots nanny, hired by the royal family to look after the young Prince Charles and later his sister, Princess Anne
But the job ended in controversy after Helen Lightbody was sacked in a row over the future King’s pudding.
And now, a special gift handed to the nanny by the Queen before the controversy is up for sale.
The stylish Elizabeth II silver compact by Padgett & Braham for Cartier is now up for auction and expected to fetch up to £800.
Miss Lightbody, from Jedburgh, in Roxburghshire, took charge of Prince Charles soon after his birth in 1948 and later looked after the Princess Royal.
She gained a reputation as a strict disciplinarian during her eight years in royal service but in 1956 overstepped the mark after the Queen sent a request to the kitchen for a particular pudding she thought Prince Charles would like.
Miss Lightbody didn’t approve and had the special dessert removed from the menu and when the Queen found out, her employment was swiftly terminated.
Despite the ignominious nature of her departure from the palace, Prince Charles continued to visit the Scot who was invited to his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969 and also to his 21st birthday.
Helen Lightbody, from Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, Charles and Anne in 1953
The Queen with Charles as he is made Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969
The stylish 1954 Elizabeth II compact, by Padgett & Braham for Cartier, is expected to fetch up to £800 at auction
The silver compact, bought in 1954, is in the form of a 3in x 3in square, centred by a gold cypher, EIIR, under a crown, with a hinged cover that opens to reveal a mirror.
It comes in its original fitted red leather Cartier case, featuring the royal monogram on the lid.
Miss Lightbody later gave the powder case to a friend in the early 1980s. It will now go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Winter Homes and Interiors Sale in Edinburgh, running online from December 9-17.
Kenneth Naples, head of sale at the auction house, said: ‘We are delighted to be offering his beautiful 1954 silver compact by Padgett & Braham for Cartier, which was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II to the royal nanny, Helen Lightbody.
‘Miss Lightbody was a memorable character who was famously dismissed after she overruled the Queen on the selection of a special pudding for the young Prince Charles.
‘Despite her departure from the palace, Prince Charles continued to visit her and there remained a connection.
‘Objects with such close royal connections always attract interest from and wide, and we anticipate bids from around the world.’
Miss Lightbody, was born in Jedburgh in 1908, the daughter of an Edinburgh mill worker.
Pictured: Prince Charles is wheeled through Green Park today in his pram by his nanny Helen Lightbody on his third Birthday
The Prince of Wales with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, nurse Helen Lightbody (carrying Princess Anne) on arrival at Ballater Station in Scotland for a trip to Balmoral
Queen Elizabeth II with Princess Anne, Prince Charles and their nurse, Helen Lightbody, at a stall during a Sale of Work event in Abergeldie Castle, near Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, August, 1955
She was senior nanny to King Charles and Princess Anne from 1948 to 1956, when she returned to Scotland.
She died in a nursing home in Hawick in 1987, aged 79. The Queen sent a message of sympathy to her family on hearing the news of her death.
Ms Lightbody, from Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, took charge of Prince Charles in 1948.
She had a reputation as a strict disciplinarian but in 1956 overstepped the mark after the Queen sent a request to the kitchen for a pudding she thought Charles would like.
Ms Lightbody didn’t approve and had the sweet treat removed. When the Queen found out, her employment was terminated.
Despite her ignominious departure, Prince Charles kept in touch and later invited her to his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969.
The silver compact, which features an EIIR gold cypher, is in its original Cartier case with a Royal monogram on the lid.
Ms Lightbody, who died in 1987, gave the compact to a friend and it will now go under the hammer at Bonhams next week.
Auctioneer Kenneth Naples said: ‘Objects with close Royal links always attract interest and we expect bids from around the world.’
