It happened almost by accident. I was supposed to be shooting with the Princess Royal at Windsor. (We had become friends in the early 70s when we both won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.) At the last minute the princess was called away to another engagement and it turned out that the Queen would be hosting instead.
At the shoot we talked about my grandfather being a gamekeeper. I was good friends with one of the head keepers at Sandringham, Bill Meldrum, who looked after and trained the Queen’s dogs, and Her Majesty saw Bill as someone very special.
After that first meeting she often invited me to shoot, both at Sandringham House and at Wood Farm [a farmhouse on the Sandringham estate]. Wood Farm was a much more cosy environment – it was a great retreat for her and Prince Philip and very modest in every way. The Queen would cook there herself and do the dishes. They were so much more at home there than at any of the big houses.
In private she was wonderful. When I was due to receive my knighthood from her in 2001, she had to take another engagement, so Prince Charles stood in for her. Later that day I was due to be shooting with the Princess Royal at Wood Farm, so my wife, Helen, and I took a helicopter to get there on time. We landed about 30 metres away from the main door. Who was there but Her Majesty. She came out to meet us at the helicopter and her first words to Helen were: “Lady Stewart, wonderful to see you.” Which was rather sweet – and of course the Queen knew very well how sweet it was.
We stayed in contact over the years and met many times. She would come for lunch at our home in Buckinghamshire. The first time was with the Duke of Edinburgh, but latterly she would come on her own or with her policemen. Once, she called to say she would like to bring some friends, if we didn’t mind – it was the brother of King Hussein of Jordan and his family.
It wasn’t a problem wondering what to cook for the Queen. I would normally ask her in advance what she would like to eat – simple as that. She was a very comfortable guest. We’ve got a nice house in Buckinghamshire and she liked the grounds. We’ve got a lot of statues of stags and hinds, and she has always been keen on those sorts of things. I would take her around on my golf buggy. I think she liked the informality of it all.
We never discussed her official responsibilities. I tried to give her the most relaxed day when she was coming to our home. The last time she came was just a few months ago and she was in fine form.
The very first time I was at Sandringham with the Queen, I offered to drive her. She said: “Certainly not, but you can navigate if you like.” So she put me beside her and she drove me to the barbecue and back. She did that many times. She was a very good driver, as good as any I’ve ever sat beside. Never missed an indicator or a dipped beam at night. Motor racing was not something that interested the Queen, however: she said it was very noisy.
When I turned 80, I arranged to have my birthday party at the Royal Automobile Club, and the chairman of the RAC wrote to the Queen, as she was patron, to see if she would be able to come. The palace replied to say unfortunately not. A weekend later, at Sandringham, I said to her: “Well, Ma’am, so sorry that you’re unable to attend my 80th birthday at the RAC.” She said: “Oh no! I didn’t know it was your 80th birthday.”
Two days later, the RAC got a message from the palace to say Her Majesty would be very happy to attend after all. That was a great privilege for me, a very unusual privilege. Obviously there were people of high rank who would quite often be seen by the Queen, but for Helen and me it was an unusual friendship.
I was supposed to be going to Balmoral just three days before the Queen died, because she wanted to see the film that has been made about me by my son Mark. We had arranged that Mark and I would go up to Balmoral to screen it for her. Sadly, the day before, her health deteriorated and they called me to say it wouldn’t be possible.
I’ve met presidents and heads of state around the world, but there was no one to match the Queen. She carried her responsibilities with such dignity and style. She adored her country. I don’t think there’s a person who’s had the privilege of meeting her who wouldn’t have been totally enthralled by her presence, her manners and her warmth. She was an extraordinary lady. I don’t think we’ll ever see her like again.
