Of course Thatcher would have known what constituted hospitality at Balmoral. A better contrast in backgrounds might have been seen by her showing up with outdoor costumes that were all clearly brand-new, rather than many seasons' worn but meticulously cared for (by other hands): mended, patched, polished, waxed, re-heeled, stored and unstored. After the royals took this in before heading out, Thatcher could still have found a reason to retire from the field, in the stubborn belief that this was her right as an individual and her duty as a professional: neither of which, for her hosts on holiday, outrank a good sport.