Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip disembark from a British Airways Concorde supersonic transport aircraft upon their arrival for a royal visit. Photo / SRA Jerry Wilson
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip disembark from a British Airways Concorde supersonic transport aircraft upon their arrival for a royal visit. Photo / SRA Jerry Wilson
OPINION:
The world has woken up to the news that our beloved Queen Elizabeth II has died.
We are faced with the reality of what her death really means for this country, the Commonwealth and every one of us who loved her.
It is rare to find a human being who is selfless – devoid of ego – yet commands the respect of children and men alike, a woman in a man's world who never lost her feminine charm and demonstrated that women can do anything a man can do (sometimes even better). Yet she adored men and appreciated them.
It was Queen Elizabeth's character that set her apart and made her one of the greatest leaders of our time and the longest-reigning monarch of this country.
She was a beautiful cornucopia of contradictions – shy but intensely funny, reserved yet feisty, homely yet statesmanlike, feminine yet tough, a doting wife and equal partner.
She pioneered the concept of work-life balance by understanding that her role was separate from her as a person, embracing her hobbies and making time for them in her busy schedule.
Queen Elizabeth loved photography and spent hours putting family photographs in her albums. She loved her dogs and of course her horses. In the winter months, when the royal household moved to Sandringham for Christmas, she would revel in the births of new foals as they arrived in the cold, early hours.
A camera had been rigged up in the stables, and she was able to watch her beloved horses give birth live. She would proudly show me the still photographs the next day, and we'd discuss the physical attributes of each foal. Knowing that my knowledge of horses was zero made it even more special. We were two women discussing babies.
Queen Elizabeth on her 1977 royal visit to the Rotorua Lakefront. Photo / Tania Warner
As we know, she had a fantastic sense of humour and was a great mimic, but her understanding of the ridiculous was also finely tuned. Both she and the Duke of Edinburgh thought it was hilarious when things didn't go according to plan on engagements – a flag that got stuck, a plaque that wouldn't unveil, the Commonwealth Games baton in Glasgow that wouldn't unscrew.
In Winnipeg, Canada, the royal boat broke down, leaving them adrift on an icy cold river. The vessel had to be lashed to another taxi and towed to the quayside, with Queen Elizabeth clambering over the rescue vessel to disembark. While the rest of us ran around trying to resolve dramas, they always remained calm.
She was intensely curious and loved life experiences that her role did not permit her to experience, such as duty-free shopping. When she travelled to Australia, which she did many times, the plane would stop in Singapore and silks would be brought to the VIP lounge for her to "shop" with Angela Kelly, her dresser.
In 2002, she decided she wanted to venture into Changi Airport's chaotic duty-free mall. She was absolutely delighted that no one recognised her and thought it hysterical when shop owners started bartering furiously with her. "Lady – you like this necklace?"
She bought a few trinkets and a crowd started to gather as people who had initially thought they must have been seeing things slowly realised it WAS her. Prince Philip, meanwhile, was in the novelty shop across the way, trying on glasses with popping eyeballs, utterly oblivious to the brouhaha.
In 2014, aged 87, Queen Elizabeth decided that she had never done a "day trip" to Europe and wondered if this would be possible. She said she had received an invitation from Giorgio Napolitano, the president of Italy, who had written to say he greatly admired her and, as they were the same age, would she like to come for lunch?
We set about making preparations and she remembered that she had not yet met the new Pope – Pope Francis – and could we fit that in as well?
The challenge on this occasion was that two heads of state could not meet informally without the Queen being dressed respectfully in black. Thankfully, the Pope was as practical as her and they agreed to depart from protocol and meet in the less formal audience hall in "day dress". She took the informality a step further, cheekily presenting a basket of treats from the royal estates that included eggs, venison and whisky, which the Pope held up joyously to the delight of the media.
Boarding the tiny plane to return to London that evening, she wandered down to the two of us who had accompanied her, smiled and said: "Well, I suppose Rome can be done in a day."
Queen Elizabeth was a wonderful boss. Many of her household served for decades. She was kind but authoritative, and no one wanted to disappoint her. She was a great listener and if you ever "winged" a briefing, would listen patiently until you had tied yourself in knots. She would gently coax new members of staff with a look or a smile until they learned the ropes.
Queen Elizabeth II filming the arrival of the escort ship HMNZS Black Prince, 1953. Photo / Getty Images
Christmas was exciting, as she took great pleasure in ordering presents for her private office and handwriting all the cards. Her gifts were always practical and thoughtful. All members of the 400-strong workforce received Christmas puddings, and – well into their late 80s – she and the Duke would stand for long periods, cheerfully presenting them.
Seldom is she acknowledged for her administrative abilities, but she was a brilliant chief executive. She managed to be across the detail of her Head of State work, always completing her nightly red box with every paper signed. At the same time, she made sure she had digested all the news for the day ahead and was thinking diplomatically about world events and potential issues.
She was a great delegator, fully trusted people in their roles, and respected their positions once appointed. The hierarchy was clear and enforced, and this created a well-oiled machine.
Her attention to detail meant she always inspected the tables before a state banquet and approved every menu on every visit. She chose the books for guests when they came to stay at Windsor Castle.
She understood the importance of her people, making it her business to be aware of household gossip and the challenges they faced. She was interested in everyone's family and their quirks and attributes and was a true matriarch in this sense, expertly balancing her own extended family with the work family.
It is widely acknowledged that Queen Elizabeth loved her role as Head of the Commonwealth. Having visited most countries, from Tuvalu to Trinidad, and been immersed in their cultures, humour and their histories, she had an easy simpatico with everyone that transcended all other issues. She treated everyone as equals, revelling in their differences as well as their bonds.
She was acutely intelligent and exceptionally well adjusted for someone who did not go through the rigours of school life. Her memory was extraordinary – without the use of computers, she could remember dynasties of names across several countries.
Her French was fluent, despite never having lived there or practised the language from one year to another. On a state visit in 2014, she declined a translator and was happy to converse with President Francois Hollande about matters of state in French.
She retained the knowledge acquired from seven decades of listening to the great leaders of the world, from Winston Churchill to Nelson Mandela, and was always willing to try something new.
Queen Elizabeth's sense of fun and curiosity made it easy for her to embrace change. When it was suggested that she might wish to embrace social media, she sat through a demonstration about YouTube and immediately said yes to a royal YouTube channel.
When it launched in 2007 with the annual Christmas Broadcast, phone calls soon came in from the White House and the Vatican asking if they could follow her lead.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip disembark from a British Airways Concorde supersonic transport aircraft upon their arrival for a royal visit. Photo / SRA Jerry Wilson
She stoically led us through global wars, social turmoil, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and national crises. She understood that no individual is all-powerful but can make a significant contribution through daily acts of kindness, commitment and dedication over decades.
She was a woman, a mother, a monarch. She suffered many of the tragedies and challenges that affect all families, yet remained resilient and strong.
Today, everyone is in pain. We are mourning the loss of our emotional anchor, our rock and our North Star. We look forward to the next generation of leadership with King Charles III and the work he is doing to create a future that enshrines the values of our Elizabeth.
• Sam Cohen was assistant private secretary and communications secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 2007 to 2018.
