Serving in the veiled life of the Saudi Royal palaces is not only a rewarding job for westerners in terms of payment, but is also an opportunity to write a book and make more money through attracting readers to the world of “Arabian Nights” and buried secrets, or at least that is what the promotion people resort to, to make the book a best seller.
In a newly published book titled “the Desert Governess,” Phyllis Ellis, a British widow compares herself to Anna Leonowens, the British governess who became teacher to the children of the King of Siam in the mid-19th Century.
"Like me, Anna was a widow," says Ellis, a slender, feisty blond, as she sits in her small house overlooking the Thames estuary in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, about 35 miles east of London, according to a report by Chicago Tribune on Thursday.
"Like me, she was in debt and had a son--I have two. She was very spirited, which I am, and adventurous, and she loved to dance. I adore to dance," Ellis continues, pirouetting among her potted plants and family photos.
"She had a great love for life--I often thought about her."
Four years ago, John Franks, her husband since she was 17, died, leaving her alone with two grown sons--and in debt. Ellis was 57.
On an impulse, Ellis answered a newspaper advertisement for "English governess for Prince and Princess of Saudi Arabian Royal Family."
"Although apprehensive, I was intrigued --governess is such a quintessential English occupation. And I was filled with a sense of adventure. I've always wanted to live in the Middle East--and I badly needed the money."
A few weeks later, the Essex widow was on a plane to her new home--a grand marble palace in Ha'il, near the Iraqi border in the remote north of the country--and her new life as governess to the children of Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, brother of the king, and his wife, Princess Abtah.
Ellis' Saudi Arabian episode was not the first time the mother of two reinvented herself. In her early 50s, Ellis--who already had a rich and colorful career as a comedian, singer and dancer--had lived in Greece, Italy and Spain, teaching English and staging plays, while her husband, a photojournalist, sailed around the world.
But going off to Saudi Arabia made the circumstances different. Her husband had died and Ellis, still in mourning, was heading toward a totally alien lifestyle in a heavily guarded palace.
"I had taken with me an Arabic dictionary and some language tapes, but I knew nothing about the Middle East, besides camels, desert and men with strong sexual appetites," she says with a giggle.
Her job at the palace was not terribly taxing but it did require endless patience. As a governess, she had to chase around three royal children age 9, 14 and 17. She also had to teach them English and be creative enough to keep them motivated.
Much more difficult for this high-spirited woman was the constant effort she had to make to adapt to the country's moral codes and prohibitions, said the Tribune report. "The hardest thing was to have to ask permission for everything. I couldn't walk out. I know I was watched all the time."
The royal governess was living in an almost exclusively female world, shrouded and secretive. As a woman, she was forbidden from driving, being alone with a man, drinking alcohol or leaving the palace without permission. She was only allowed out when chaperoned, veiled and clad from head to foot in a black abaya, a black gauze scarf covering her head and sometimes even a burqo’, a face mask made out of soft material with openings only for the eyes.
At times, her sense of isolation was unbearable, said the report, citing the book.
"As a governess, I was neither a servant nor a member of the family. No one spoke English. I had no one to tell my troubles to."
Yet, she adds, "the Arab culture is very comforting and warm, so I got support in that way."
According to the website about the book (www.desertgoverness.com), Phyllis, “in spite of prohibitions and unexpected moral codes, successfully builds up a rapport with the women she meets her royal charges, Prince Bender 17 , Princess Jowaher 14 and Princess Sarah 9, and Palace life in general. She takes the reader through a personal journey of discovery, cultural, social and religious, exploring sympathetically and from the inside her impressions of the country, Muslim beliefs and customs, Saudi dress, cuisine attitudes to the family, women marriage and divorce.”
“Romance came her way, the romance of poetry, music and legendary mystery, encapsulated in two Arab men who captivated and enthralled her-HRH Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and the Saudi Professor Mohammed.
And there were fairy-tale weddings, fragrant gardens, the magic of the desert, a four-poster bed with a silk canopy as big as three single beds and trips in a private jet with a golden-plated toilet seat.
Ellis occupied her long solitary hours with daily swims in the palace pool, yoga and meditation.
"It helped me to survive and come to terms with myself and John's death.
"I was totally covered in black and mourning for my husband. I was cloistered, so I had time to come to terms with this."
During these lonely hours, Ellis also began taking notes.
"Everything here was a social, cultural and religious education. I felt compelled to write things down."
So she wrote about her impressions of the country and the palace life, the secret lives of women, Muslim beliefs and customs, and Saudi dress, cuisine and traditions. She kept her notes locked in her suitcase.
"I knew I would be in trouble if they found out. The Saudis are very secretive and like to protect their culture."
After two years, the pull for home became too strong and Ellis flew back to England. Being home presented another shock: adjusting to her new freedom.
"I couldn't believe that I could walk out of the house and look at the sea on my own, that I could ring up a male friend and go for a drink," she says, grinning.
To readjust she spent time reading and rewriting her copious notes, and with the help and support of her sons decided to turn them into a book, which spelled the beginning of another new career.
"It gave me confidence," says Ellis, who is now writing short stories and promoting her book in the UK and the US "It is very rewarding, especially at my age. I feel that I have been going through all these years, trying my best, and now I get something into fruition. At 60, my life has taken a new direction." – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
