Queen’s ‘unbelievable’ question with startled look was ‘true sign of her character’

To millions around the world, the late monarch was the personification of steadfast duty and service. But for those who worked behind the palace walls, she will be remembered for her habitual kindness and loyalty.

Ailsa Anderson, who served the Queen for more than 12 years from 2001, says her diligence during her record-breaking 70-year reign was matched only by her humour and sense of fun behind closed doors.
The former government adviser started on a three-year secondment to the Royal Household but ended up staying more than a decade to become the Queen’s press secretary.
She admits: “I came into the Household with a slightly cocky demeanour and an air of superiority – I’d worked for three government ministers and I thought this would be a piece of cake.

“But as soon as I was beside Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh it grabbed me by the heart and I understood quickly that hers was like no job on earth – it was a true vocation.”
During her time as an integral part of the Queen’s senior staff, Ailsa took a key role in many high-profile events – including two jubilees, the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Prince George’s subsequent birth.

But she says what set the Queen apart was her fondness for visits around the UK to meet ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Ailsa, who went on to work for the Archbishop of Canterbury and now represents business interests in the City of London, says: “I recall sitting with the Queen and Prince Philip on their first regi­onal tour to Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. The crowds were enormous. The Queen turned round with a startled look and said, ‘Are these people really here to see me?’

“It took me by surprise that, despite being the most famous person in the world, she had an air of modesty about her. And she’d always done her homework on who she’d be meeting and their stories of why they were there. She was acutely aware this would for ever be a moment in their lives – it’s a true sign of her character.”

“It took me by surprise that, despite being the most famous person in the world, she had an air of modesty about her. And she’d always done her homework on who she’d be meeting and their stories of why they were there. She was acutely aware this would for ever be a moment in their lives – it’s a true sign of her character.”

Despite the opu­­lent palaces and the lavish outfits for state banquets, Ailsa says the Queen was mindful of “not being seen to be ostentatious”. She recalls how on an official state visit in 2010 to Oman, the Sultan gifted her a £1million Arabian stallion racehorse and a huge replica of the coronation coach, complete with eight horses set in gold.

In return, the Queen handed over a book. Ailsa says: “In a palace dripping with gold, Her Majesty hands the Omani ruler a copy of the book The Elements of Clock and Watch-work. It was a personal touch to counteract the incredible show of lavishness. But the two remained incredibly good friends.

Those close to her have often relayed stories of a softer side to the woman who became Britain’s longest-serving monarch just months before her passing on September 8, 2022.

Ailsa, awarded the Royal Victorian Medal in 2009 for her dedicated service, says: “The Queen never failed to surprise me. She had superb wit and comic timing. During a Privy Council meeting which had all the most senior members of her government present, a politician’s phone went off. Quick as a flash she quipped, ‘You’d better answer that. It may be someone important.

At Balmoral, the Queen’s favourite home, courtiers could sense she felt truly relaxed. She often took her family for picnics laden with jam pennies – circular sandwiches she loved to make with her grandchildren. Ailsa says: “As she drove through the gates of Balmoral she left her crown on the gate posts, figuratively speaking. I remember working alone in an office at Queen Victoria’s children’s school house there. There was a sudden tapping on the window.

I shot upright… and saw the Queen smiling back at me. I didn’t know whether to curtsy, I was so startled. I just gave a flustered little wave as I was met with one of her broad smiles as she took off with the corgis. She was simply enjoying catching me by surprise – it was a moment you couldn’t believe actually happened.
Ailsa said the family will have missed Prince Philip’s counsel but added: “The King learned much from both his mother and father, he’s proving an inspirational monarch. I’ve no doubt he’ll take time for quiet reflection today but he has been ready for his moment for some time.”