Medals of the queen's private secretary who helped to bring in royal walkabouts come up at auction

The arrival of Meghan Markle into the royal family has highlighted the pressure on the monarchy to meet modern expectations, but it is not a new phenomenon. A medal group coming up at a London auction house Morton & Eden (M&E) on June 28 underlines the role of a man who once reportedly told the queen that: “Your job is to spread a carpet of happiness.”