'Shy but playful': Queen Elizabeth's trusted aide reveals late monarch's true nature
Queen Elizabeth was "shy" but "playful", according to her most trusted aide Samantha Cohen, who has spoken about her time with the royal in a recent interview.
Cohen worked alongside the late royal nearly every day for 18 years, working as her private secretary.
She spoke of the the Queen's focus on family, describing the family visits she hosted.
"It was important to her," Cohen told The Sunday Times.
READ MORE: Princess to undergo new treatment to fight 'incurable' condition
Samantha Cohen, pictured behind Queen Elizabeth and Meghan in 2018, worked with the monarch for years. Getty
"She loved hosting everybody for summer, allocating the rooms and checking them herself."
The Australian-born royal aide worked with Her Majesty until 2018 until she transitioned to a position with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, remaining for a year.
Cohen first laid eyes on the late Queen in 1977 when the royal visited Brisbane for her Silver Jubilee.
Twenty-five years later she spotted an advertisement to join the royal's press office in Buckingham Palace.
READ MORE: 'Utterly heartbroken' family confirms star's death after tragic accident
The late Queen Elizabeth was "shy" but "playful", according to her former aide. Getty
She got the job and rose through the ranks to work alongside Her Majesty.
"She was gutsy," Cohen said, adding that the monarch would "drive her cars fast around Balmoral."
"Some mornings I'd be getting the cereal for breakfast, and the kids would go, 'Mum! The Queen just rode past on her horse.' Other times they'd bump into her on their bicycles."
"They made us feel so welcome, very much a part of their lives," Cohen added, also describing the Queen as "remarkably kind" and handwriting the tags to Christmas gifts they received.
She described her relationship with the Queen as "extremely respectful."
Cohen said the Queen "drove fast" around Balmoral. Getty
"There were no favourites," she said.
"I felt my job was to make her life as easy as possible. The Queen was an incredible boss."
Cohen also explained the Queen "had no ego" despite her status.
"It always struck me that in a world of celebrity, where we had all sorts of celebrities coming into the palace, the Queen was the antithesis of celebrity," she said.
READ MORE: The top Dyson deals in Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale
Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, a year after husband Prince Philip's death. Getty
"She was the maestro. She understood this was her role. She took it very seriously and performed it to perfection.
"But she knew it was separate to her as a person. She was never intoxicated by the allure, never showed off, was never tempted to preen."
Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96. She was laid to rest in King George VI Memorial Chapel beside her husband Prince Philip, who died the previous year.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
Most viewed in Royals
King Charles III popularity plummets to lowest levels since ascension
Met Police refers itself to watchdog over handling of Thomas Markle allegations
Harry and Meghan taking break from public life so they don’t ‘overshadow the royal family’
Auction of royal jewels ‘inappropriate’ and ‘against everything the king stands for’
