‘She hates it’: Ex royal police guard reveals staff trait the Queen can’t stand

She might be one of the most well-known people in the world, but it seems the Queen is more down to earth than many people may realise behind closed doors.

Former royal police guard David Lombardi, 58, worked in the royal protection group of the Metropolitan Police – a specialised unit in charge of the royals’ security – for a decade. The job meant he travelled extensively with the Queen and Prince Philip, regularly spending a whole month at a time with them in Balmoral over summer, as well as stints at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and more.

Now, speaking in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60, he has shared some of his best memories from his time in the role – particularly while working in the grounds of the monarch’s sprawling Balmoral estate.

As part of the job, David would have to do daily rounds to check on each of the guards and security staff – often running into the Queen herself as she took a stroll outdoors. It meant he quickly learned the best way to act in her presence – insisting she wants all of her staff to continue as if she’s not there.

“She wants you to carry on with your business, if she wants to talk to you she’ll come over,” he said. “She hates it if people try to hide away from her, she wants you to be completely normal.

“She’d hate it if you saw her coming and tried to walk away or hide, she really hates all that. She just wants you to go about your business. No fuss.”

Of course, despite becoming comfortable in the royal family’s presence fairly quickly, David admitted he never forgot the huge privilege he had in seeing them so comfortable, away from prying eyes.

“If she [the Queen] does come over, you’re always thinking in the back of your mind, ‘This is the Queen here’! It’s usually just friendly chit chat, but you never forget that fact,” he said, adding: “She’s always very pleasant and polite.”

David added that new staff members would often try to avoid any surprise run-ins with the head of the royal family, but quickly learned it’s best to continue working normally. One golden rule, however, is to never walk up to her uninvited.

“She’d probably be a bit annoyed if you just went up to her, I mean you just wouldn’t, but if she comes over to you then we’d often have a chat,” he said of his own experience.

“Imagine if you were at home and your guests were following you around to try and collar you, then you’d be annoyed, but if you happened to see them in the kitchen it’s fine. In my experience she was always very pleasant.”

Busting another royal myth, David said while many people bow or curtsy when meeting the Queen and other royals – her security staff members don’t tend to do the same, making it a more comfortable and natural environment for them to work in.

“I never bowed, from a security side of things, but you’d be polite and call them Your Majesty or Sir,” he explained. “You’re past the stage of bowing when you’re in the grounds, or you’d be doing it constantly. There’s none of that.”

Meanwhile, the Queen is well known to still love driving herself around at the age of 92, despite having a team of staff who could take the wheel for her – and David said she often used to drive herself between her homes with no more than one security member beside her.

While she spends most of the week at Buckingham Palace – treating it much like an office – she’d then usually travel to Windsor Castle for her weekends, making the journey through London herself without much of the public having a clue.

“They wouldn’t really have a police escort on these occasions,” David said. “Sometimes they won’t even have anyone, although the Queen would always have one personal guard – called the Queen’s Protection Officer.”

Read more: My royal past: Spinning the Queen on dance floor and chatting to loved-up Kate

Asked if she’d drive from Buckingham Palace and out through London, he said: “Yes, she certainly has done. Certainly when I was there four years ago she did.”

David is now working as a tour leader for travel company Back-Roads Touring, which offers tours ‘off the beaten track’. He has even created a specific royal tour of his own to offer tourists the best chance of spotting a member of the family and soaking up the iconic sights across the country.

To join in one of David’s royal tours with Back-Roads Touring, visit the website here.

What do you think? How do you think you would react if you were approached by the Queen?