In nearly 70 years on the throne, the Queen has met countless people — from presidents to the world's poorest.
For all those, the encounter left an abiding memory.
Over the course of almost a quarter of a century, authors DEBORAH HART STROBER and GERALD STROBER have interviewed dozens of those who know or have met her and compiled their recollections into a fascinating new book.
In nearly 70 years on the throne, the Queen has met countless people — from presidents to the world's poorest. For all those, the encounter left an abiding memory. (Above, the monarch at Royal Ascot in 2017)
Michael Noakes
Portrait painter
The Queen talks non-stop during sittings. There are not long periods of silence at all.
In the mid-1970s, I painted Her Majesty wearing robes for the Order of the Bath, which are a bright, pinky red, in satin. They're very striking. We had an afternoon session once where the light was awful, so I put the lights on.
It was a big picture I was painting — 8 ft tall — for the city of Manchester, and to get to her head, which was 6 ft up on the canvas, I had to stand on a trolley. To get her in the right height relationship, she stood on a trolley, too.
But it meant that raised up to get enough light, she could be seen from outside through the window. This was not supposed to happen but we were in a room overlooking The Mall and Birdcage Walk — on the side of the Palace she didn't normally go to.
Looking out of the window, she kept up a running commentary, either on the scene, or on people's comments about glimpsing her. She was amused at people saying: 'Wow!'
And then there was a taxi that got hit by a car and she carried on a running commentary about that. I thought it was quite fun because they didn't know that the Queen was saying: 'Oh! He's got out now; there's going to be a fight, I think.'
Michael Deaver
President Reagan's deputy chief of staff
The Queen had a wonderful time when she visited California in 1983. She phoned Princess Margaret every day and excitedly told her what was happening, what she and Philip had done that day and how much fun they'd had.
But when torrential rains came, they decided they weren't going to 'steam' [travel in Britannia] because she doesn't like rough weather. That caused me a terrible problem because it gave us a whole night that I hadn't planned for.
I went up to the Queen and said: 'We have a free evening tomorrow in San Francisco, and I have called Trader Vic's and they're going to give us a special room and I just thought it would be fun.' And she said: 'Oh, a restaurant! That's wonderful!'
The Queen had a wonderful time when she visited California in 1983 (above with Philip, and Nancy and Ronald Reagan). She phoned Princess Margaret every day and excitedly told her what was happening, what she and Philip had done that day and how much fun they'd had
And the Queen turned to the Duke of Edinburgh and said to him: 'Philip, Mr Deaver has this wonderful idea about going to a restaurant!' He said: 'A restaurant? Surely you are kidding? A restaurant?'
She turned to me and said: 'We'll talk about it tonight and I'll tell you.' And she came down later and said: 'We'd be delighted to go to a restaurant.'
We did have a wonderful time at Trader Vic's. To see Susan Hussey [her lady-in-waiting], and the Duchess of Grafton, the lady of the robes, with these drinks — they hit you like that; they're powerful things!
And, of course, Vic sold that dinner for years: you could go in and get the 'royal dinner'. That evening, when I took them back up to their suite, the Queen said to me: 'Thank you, Mr Deaver. That was a wonderful evening. It was the first time we have been in a restaurant in 17 years!'
Nelson Mandela
Former South African president
I went with the Queen to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall [in 1996]. There was a South African choir singing. I was sitting with Her Majesty and Prince Charles, and I got up and danced — and Her Majesty got up and danced, too! I really enjoyed that.
She's a wonderful lady.
Sir Bernard Ingham
Former press secretary to Margaret Thatcher
Quite frankly, the Royal Family has two problems; they are called the Duke of York and Prince Harry, both of whom are lacking in any judgment.
Sir Michael Oswald
Manager of the Royal Stud
A lot of people working, say, in Buckingham Palace — certainly from the Queen's early days in the job — tended to write to each other on rather smart writing paper, embossed with the coat of arms and 'Buckingham Palace' written underneath, or 'Sandringham', and I had some printed paper made up especially for writing to the Queen.
I got answers to my letters, memos and notes back on some very, very inexpensive paper torn off a pad — about the cheapest sort of paper you could get. And I very soon got the message.
There's a certain amount of Scottish blood in the Queen. She deplores any form of extravagance and left to her own devices would live a far simpler life, eating fairly plain food, with horses and dogs in the countryside, which she understands and loves.
Baron Glentoran
Tory politician
I was invited to a lunch at Buckingham Palace. There were only 12 of us, including the royals, and I sat next to the Duke of Edinburgh.
They both have a marvellous sense of humour, rather dry. One of the guests was a well-known international sculptor, a funny young man, and he said: 'Ma'am, do you ever watch television now?' And she didn't really answer him.
The Queen, as portrayed in Spitting Image
He said: 'I just wondered if you watch Spitting Image?' And she said: 'What did you say?'
And he said: 'I wondered if you ever watch Spitting Image, and you saw the occasion where your puppet said: 'Now, Mr Major, what do you do?'
He was very brave.
And she said: 'I thought it was the funniest thing!'
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Michael Deaver
President Reagan was a great admirer of the Queen. He liked to talk to her about horses: they were both familiar with thoroughbreds, and he was somebody who could handle and enjoy big horses.
I believe she enjoyed being around him very much. When we arrived at Windsor, all of our bags that had been on Air Force One had been taken to our room. But of course at Windsor you are assigned a valet, for me, and a maid, for my wife.
They had taken out all of her cosmetics and lined them all up, precisely.
And she had a pair of old sheepskin slippers that were horrible to look at, and they were neatly in front of the bed. And I remember her saying: 'Oh, my God!'
We had been on the road for five or six days, so our suitcases were filled with dirty clothes. The problem was they had taken everything out to launder, and I had no pyjamas.
So the next morning I came out of the bath with nothing on — just as the maid came in with our breakfast tray. I could have been a grandfather clock as far as she was concerned.
She said: 'Good morning, sir,' and I stood there like I was a piece of stone as long as I could and they discussed what my wife was going to wear that day.
The other thing that morning was the Queen's 'alarm clock'—pipers at Windsor at 7am outside her window. And in addition to the pipers, there was a footman, in tails, walking the corgis!
Larry Adler
U.S. harmonica player
The Queen Mother did something amazing. I did a concert at Clarence House, and she came over and asked could she see the harmonica? So I handed it to her. And I swear she said: 'No one will ever believe me when I tell them that I held Larry Adler's organ!' And she knew what she was saying because she gave me a wink.
Lord (Denis) Healey
Ex-Labour Chancellor
Lord Mountbatten was always rather pro-Labour. There was a story about how, during a general election, a Conservative canvasser called at Broadlands, where he lived.
He answered the front door, and the chap said: 'I'm a canvasser for the Conservative Party,' and Dickie said: 'Ah, well, I don't have a vote, of
