Inspirational. Devoted. Dignified. These are just some of the words used to describe Queen Elizabeth II throughout her lifetime. But now one of her former aides has revealed a different side to the late Monarch while shedding light on why she loved to visit our wide brown land.
Talking to The Sunday Times, former senior aide Samantha Cohen said it was our casual attitude that appealed to the late Queen who was happiest when she was “off duty”.
Queen Elizabeth found her official trips to Australia more relaxing as “there was less protocol” than in other countries, including Great Britain, Cohen explained.
During her time as a senior aide, Cohen saw the Monarch nearly every day and accompanied her on her official trips to Australia in 2002, 2006 and 2011.
While she always performed her duties with dignity, the Queen let loose in her private life, often delighting in scaring her passengers by driving wildly in her Range Rovers and Land Rovers on her country estates.
“(The Queen would) drive her cars fast around Balmoral … (leaving passengers) white-knuckled,” Cohen said.
The insights come after Cohen spoke to The Herald Sun about the Queen’s more playful side while reflecting on their professional relationship.
“The Queen had no ego, she was so comfortable in herself, yet she loved it when things went wrong,” Cohen revealed.
“If a cake was not cutting or a plaque didn’t unveil, because everything was so perfectly organized, it spiced her life up when things went wrong.”
Despite Elizabeth’s naughty side, Cohen explained that she “took (her role in society) very seriously and performed it to perfection”.
Describing her former boss as a “shy” but “gutsy” woman, Cohen said the Queen “antithesis of celebrity,” despite being one of the most famous people in the world.
Reflecting on her time as the Queen’s aide, Cohen expressed her fondness for the experiences she shared with Her Majesty.
“I loved, loved, loved the job as the Queen’s assistant private secretary. They were happy times because the Queen was in great form,” she said.
Cohen was still attending school when she first saw the woman who would become her future boss during the head of state’s visit to Australia in 1977 during her Silver Jubilee year.
The Australian-born aide revealed she was “beyond excited” to see the Queen in person.
-with BANG.