Queen Elizabeth nearly ended one royal trip in a very unroyal place. Author Hugo Vickers recalled a blizzard that stopped the Late Queen in her tracks, describing a 1981 journey that almost left the late monarch sleeping above a pub. The story began after a visit to Princess Anne at Gatcombe Park. The late Queen’s route was blocked by severe weather. That forced aides to find a quick stop while the road remained impassable.
Queen Elizabeth got caught in a blizzard, recalls author
As per the HELLO! report, Vickers shared the account on “A Right Royal Podcast.” He said Queen Elizabeth was leaving Gatcombe Park when the weather turned. “The car got stuck in a total blizzard,” he recalled. He then said there was “nothing they could do.” According to Vickers, Detective Inspector Trestrail stepped in and “negotiated” a solution. That allowed the late monarch to use “a side exterior staircase” and reach a room upstairs. For a time, he said, she “might have had to stay the night.”
Then, Vickers said the delay stretched late into the evening. He explained that the Queen spent time in the upstairs room while crews worked outside. However, the road was eventually cleared. According to his retelling, “about midnight she left.” That detail turned what could have become an overnight stay into a near miss. Meanwhile, another part of the story made it even stranger. Vickers said the people “in the bar downstairs had no idea.” So, one of Britain’s most recognizable figures and longest-reigning British monarch was reportedly upstairs while regular pub trade carried on below.
Later, the same report said the story still lived on at the site. Vickers noted, “I guess it’s largely forgotten now,” but added, “They still have the plaque.” That gave the 1981 blizzard stop, a physical marker years later. Separately, the report added another pub detail from royal history. In 1998, Queen Elizabeth made what was believed to be her first official pub visit at the Bridge Inn in Topsham, Devon. She did not drink there, but accepted a bottle of beer for Prince Philip. Together, those details gave the old blizzard story extra context. Even with many royal residences available, one storm nearly sent the Queen to a pub for the night.