Nia: How did you manage to land the job of Lady-in-Waiting for Princess Margaret?

Gwen: I had a letter inviting me for an interview with Princess Margaret. As it happens, I was going to London that day anyway. During the interview, they asked me what I'd do by myself in London that evening? "Well, as it happens, I'm having dinner with Prince Charles" I said, so they asked where we were to meet. I thought to myself it wasn't my place to disclose such information. I thought that discreetness helped. This is the dress I wore for the interview and dinner with Charles in the Hilton.

Nia: Do you think that your time at the palace has influenced your style?

Gwen: Without doubt. I saw a way of life I'd never witnessed before.

Nia: You often give your dresses names don't you?

Gwen: The blue dress is called Diana's dress. I wore the dress to meet her at a luncheon in Cardiff in 1980.

Gwen: This one's called the Harlech dress which I wore for Lord Harlech's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 1985.

Gwen: My favourite is Frank's dress. I wore this Jean Muir dress on my first day at the palace. I was quite nervous but I loved my new dress. Frank Sinatra was there and he said "I like your dress". That made my night - he was a very nice man.

Nia: How would you describe your style?

Gwen: Clothes that aren't too fussy. Good quality clothes. They haven't dated that much, except for the flowery clothes possibly - although, they are coming back into fashion now. I love flowers, lilies are my favourite.

Nia: You'll never throw your clothes over a chair?

Gwen: Oh, never! I'd worry that there was something wrong with me if I did that.

Nia: And this is the dress you wore to meet Lady Thatcher?

Gwen: This is a one-sleeve dress with diamante on the front. It's still in the plastic that she came back in after wearing. The dry cleaners were the Royal family's cleaners. The last time I wore her was when I went to the opera in London. This dress is an excuse to wear diamonds. When I used to go out to the palace, this dress attracted the cameras.

Nia: Was there pressure on you to dress smartly?

Gwen: I wasn't meant to dress any smarter than I usually would. I'd have advice sometimes such as "Well, I wouldn't wear that if I were you. No, she won't like it", so I'd change and dress down.

Nia: You have a big collection of hats?

Gwen: A hat finishes an outfit and having a dramatic hat is worthwhile. I once wore a hat to go to Westminster Abbey and everybody was following me and the red hat. But, it was quite disappointing to see that Dame Shirley Porter was wearing the same one, so everybody started following her instead of me! But that wasn't all bad just to have the same hat as Dame Shirley Porter, although I would have liked to have her money too!

Nia: Where do you get your clothes from then?

Gwen: I don't think you should share that secret with anybody. I think that's important. You don't say I bought from this, that and the other shop, that's a secret. Maybe someone will go out and buy the same outfit so that's a big secret and I never tell anybody where I go to shop.

Gwen on clothes...
I believe that your personality is in your clothes and maybe clothes give you character too.