“The [late] Queen had seen enough ‘yes men’ come and go and he wasn’t one of those,’ says one who saw them both close at hand.”
But there were other times when the late monarch showed her unmatched sense of humour, even to members of the public.
One time, a group of American tourists approached Elizabeth during one of her walks near Balmoral, without recognising her.
According to Richard Griffin, her protection officer, the Americans asked Elizabeth if she lived nearby.
Author Karen Dolby claimed Griffin said: “She answered quite non-committally that yes, she had a house quite close by.
“They asked if she’d ever met the Queen, and without missing a beat she replied ‘no’ but pointed at Richard Griffin, and said, ‘but he has’.
“And then they walked on, none the wiser. I think her sense of irony and lightness of touch reflected her humour very obviously.”
