Rosa Lewis
Toronto Daily Star, January 10 1927
Rosa Lewis (1867-1952), known as "The Queen of Cooks", started her working life as a domestic servant at the age of 12. She went on from there to become a cook. One of her employers was Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill. She later met King Edward VII and was rumored to have had an affair with him. She purchased the Cavendish Hotel in 1902, possibly with his help.
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany also appreciated her cooking and gave her his portrait as a gift. During the First World War, she had it hung it upside down in the hotel's men's toilet.
Created October 14, 2025.