Prue Leith recalls moment Queen corrected her during a Buckingham Palace lunch: 'They're dorgis'
Prue Leith has revealed her incorrect use of 'corgis' when meeting the late Queen and a 'ticking off' from Prince Philip.
The much-loved Dame, 82, who has returned to our screens for the new series of The Great British Bake Off, has given an insight into her encounters with the Royal Family in an interview for Good Housekeeping magazine's October issue.
When asked if she has ever met Queen Elizabeth II, Leith explained that she was once lucky enough to have lunch at Buckingham Palace, with one very memorable conversation in particular sticking with her.
"She [the late Queen] arrived with what I thought were her corgis, so I said something about them, and she said, 'Oh, they're not corgis, they're dorgis'," the TV presenter, restaurateur and chef recalled.
"She then explained with great excitement how The Kennel Club had finally accepted that a cross between a dachshund and a corgi, which she called a dorgi, was a breed. She was thrilled about it."
The late Queen owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, which mostly descended from her first, Susan, which was given to her on her 18th birthday in 1944.
Leith also described how a gentle telling off from the late Duke of Edinburgh taught her to adopt a new attitude.
When asked by the magazine what her secret is to opening 'new windows of opportunity', she explained, "Being curious. For me, the worst words in the world are, 'It's so boring.' If you find things boring, you're likely to be quite boring yourself!"
Of course, this was inspired by the words of the Duke himself.
"I was once at an event with the late Prince Philip, and I said to him, 'Sir, I feel sorry for you – it must be very boring watching these dances and touring factories all the time,'" she recalled.
But, she added, "He said, 'Actually, if you take an interest in what the dances mean, they become quite interesting. If you go to a factory and find out how the machinery works, it becomes quite fascinating.'
"I thought, 'Oh, a ticking off from the Royals!' – but he was right. Curiosity is the key to life."
Another recent royal blunder included when her car broke down during the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Her effortless waves and smiles to the public soon turned into a scene of five people pushing the rear of the vintage Rolls Royce up The Mall.
But, like with her other royal lessons, she remained unfazed, and was amused at the situation herself.
The October issue of Good Housekeeping was on sale from 31 August.
