Jonty Levin one of our Westminster Guides shares with us the story of the Ritz Hotel during the last war ,taken from his WWII walking tour around Whitehall and St. James.
As seen in The Crown, the Ritz, as well as other elite hotels, remained open during the war, providing refuge from the war to the famous and wealthy whether for an extended duration or just a few hours.
The royal families of Denmark, Luxembourg and Norway all took suites at the Ritz for a time during the war. The king of Albania – King Zog, took an entire floor for his family and those of his six sisters, staying for about nine months following his escape, (with assistance from Ian Fleming – the James Bond author who worked for the Special Intelligence Service at the time), from France when it fell to Germany. It was said that he used his country’s gold reserves to pay for the accommodation.
During the war food was rationed as Britain imported 70% of all food – 90% of butter, 70% of sugar and cheese, and 50% of meat. Attacks on shipping routes reduced food supplies, and the government needed to avoid hoarding or famine. Rationing, therefore, started in January 1940 with bacon, butter and sugar being limited. By mid-1942 nearly all food except fruit and vegetables were rationed. It was still possible to dine well at hotels, though, as the rules of rationing did not apply. In an effort to discourage overindulgence, the government mandated that the most the hotels could charge for meals would be 5 shillings. Five shillings still allowed for a luxurious meal at a time when a cup of tea from a tea house cost 3 pennies. Five shillings was equal to 60 pennies.
On VE Day, 8 May 1945, Princess Elizabeth (19) and Princess Margaret (14) received permission from their parents, after six balcony appearances in as many hours, to be a part of the celebrating crowds. They started outside Buckingham Palace, on the Mall, and then made their way up Whitehall with a group of friends and associates. The group eventually ended up at the Ritz, entering the hotel and starting, as faithfully recorded in The Crown, a conga line before returning to the palace.