A royal footman has been caught kissing a stable girl in the royal stables after telling colleagues he was going out to polish the carriage lamps.

Alfie Bell, 24, was discovered with stable hand Nell Carter, 23, when Mrs Pritchard, head of the royal household, went to investigate why the stable door was open. She found the pair behind a stack of hay bales. The carriage lamps were still on the carriage.

“Mr Bell told me Miss Carter had something in her eye,” said Mrs Pritchard. “I asked him why he’d taken his waistcoat off to look for it.”

A witness comes forward

The pair had reportedly been meeting for weeks. A junior groom said he’d grown suspicious after Bell started bringing two cups of tea to the stables, one with three sugars.

“He told me the second one was for the horse,” the groom said. “I’ve worked here six years. That horse takes two.”

The palace response

The palace confirmed that both employees would keep their positions. Mrs Pritchard has, however, asked the couple to use the servants’ sitting room, where there are two perfectly good armchairs and considerably less hay.

Bell was seen back on duty at breakfast. As he leaned over to pour the King’s tea, a piece of straw fell from his cuff.

“Leave it, Bell,” said His Majesty. “I’ve read the papers.”