Paul McCartney has looked back at his decades of 'privileged' times with the Queen - including when he made her 'giggle'.
The Beatles star, 80, paid tribute to Her Majesty, who sadly passed away on Thursday, aged 96.
The Liverpool-born singer met the monarch several times during her reign, most recently in 2018 when he was honoured for his services to music.
Recalling what was to be their final meeting, Sir Paul wrote on Instagram : "Because of my respect and love for the Queen and her fabulous sense of humour when I was given the Companion of Honour medal I shook her hand, leaned in and said, ‘We have got to stop meeting like this’, to which she giggled slightly and got on with the ceremony.
“I did wonder if I was a bit too cheeky after saying this, after all this was The Queen, but I have a feeling she didn’t mind.”
The star first met the Queen in 1965.
Recalling his earliest memories, aged just 10, Paul wrote: “I entered an essay competition in Liverpool and won my division for my essay about the British Monarchy so I have been a fan for a long time.
“In 1953 when the Queen was crowned everyone on our street in Speke, Liverpool, finally got a television set and we settled down to watch the Coronation in glorious black and white.”
Ten years later The Beatles performed at the Royal Variety Performance in 1963, but it was two years later, when the band was made MBE, that they first met the monarch.
“We were told how to approach Her Majesty and not to talk to her unless she talks to us. For four Liverpool lads, it was, ‘Wow, hey man,’” Paul explained.
“The next time we met was some years later at the Royal Albert Hall on 13th December 1982.
“Part of the evening included some orchestral re-workings of some Beatles songs and I remember chatting with Her Majesty about them.
“She also re-introduced me to Prince Philip who said he remembered our previous meeting in the 60s.”
Paul's next interaction with the Queen, which came just one year later was “a very proud day,” the star said.
“It was one of the best days ever," he shared. I felt very honoured to be offered a Knighthood and of course it would have been rude to turn it down.
“I remember it was in the springtime and the skies were blue.
“It was a wonderful day and I remember thinking I’d come a long way from a little terrace house in Liverpool.”
In 2012 the father-of-three performed at Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee, which he described as “so special in many ways”.
“This was the first time I performed in front of her since her last Jubilee, and seeing all the people stretching down Pall Mall was great, as was meeting other members of the Royal Family afterwards,” he said.
“It was a great weekend to be British.”
Sir Paul signed off his fond memories, writing: “God bless you. You will be missed.”
* This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
