there, she was tasked with organising the private secretary's large staff and dealing with enquiries about the queen. she travelled abroad with the royal household and was responsible for arranging the gifts the queen gave to foreign dignitaries on official visits. her "vigilance" and "discretion" were valued and, as "the times" noted in her obituary, saw her rewarded with appointments to the royal victorian order, successively through both classes of member grade in 1964 and 1971, then as a commander in 1976 and finally as dame commander on retirement in 1978.