Queen Elizabeth has always been seen as one of the country’s most well-behaved and respected figures. In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, the late monarch’s most trusted aide, Samatha Cohen, recalled some of the Queen’s favorite moments, including her love for driving cars around Balmoral Castle.
Cohen served as personal assistant to Her Royal Highness Her Majesty the Queen for nearly 18 years, until her death in September 2022 at the age of 96.
Cohen described Queen as a “shy” but “courageous” person. Further speaking with the news portal, the royal source revealed that Elizabeth loved spending time at Balmoral Castle, and would often invite other members of the family to join her in the summer.
Elaborating on the royals’ summer, Cohen shared, “It was important to them. She loved hosting everyone for the summer, assigning rooms and checking them out herself.
As for Cohen, the Australian native previously worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and, in 2018, she became the Queen’s private secretary.
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Recalling her moments with the late royal, the aide revealed, “She used to drive her cars fast around Balmoral. She was courageous.” Apart from cars, the former king also loved riding horses.
Cohen said that the Queen’s children would often bump into her when she rode a horse. Australian AIS recalled, “Some mornings I’d get cereal for breakfast, and the kids would say, ‘Mummy!’ The queen just moved forward on her horse.’ Other times they would crash into him on their bicycles.” He added, “The Queen loved watching families spend quality time and hearing what everyone was up to.”
Samantha shared that the Queen was very welcoming to her and their children, as she herself picked out Christmas gifts for family members, including Cohen, and gave them handwritten cards on special holidays.
Despite sharing some light moments with the late Queen Elizabeth, Samantha Cohen claimed that her relationship with Queen Elizabeth is very respectful. The Queen died in September 2022 and was succeeded by her son, King Charles.
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