Queen Elizabeth II's former bodyguard has spoken out about his years working with Her Majesty following her death. Keith Hanson, who was part of the Queen's security from 2003 until 2020 at the Investitures, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (September 13) to talk about the late sovereign.
Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shepard on the ITV breakfast programme, Keith opened up about some of his personal experiences with the Queen saying that working for her was a 'privilege' and 'great and wonderful' thing to do.
Appearing live from Lincolnshire via a video link, the former bodyguard revealed the calming ability Her Majesty had on frightened celebrities. Keith recalled that many famous people 'melted before her' and had 'fear in their faces' whilst meeting her - but she quickly put them at ease.
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"When you saw the people, when they're called forward, you'd see the abject fear in their faces," Keith said.
"To manage the situation... she'd ask them to relax a bit... many famous people just melted before her. Her ability to calm them down was unsurpassed."
Earlier in the show, Lady Sarra Hoy revealed that she queued for 11 hours to see the Queen's coffin in the church she wed her husband, the Mirror reports.
The lawyer, who is wed to cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, shared her "beautiful and touching" experience visiting St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
She explained she had woken up at 6am to make the journey, arriving at the cathedral at 7.30am. However, it wasn't until 6.30pm that she would be able to go inside.
Explaining why she had wanted to visit the Queen, she said: "I grew up in a military family... I had met the Queen on a couple of occasions.
"The Queen was woven into every fabric of our lives... she has been that level, steadfast force in all of our lives [...] She has made a connection with people not just as a head of state... but also on a personal level."
On queueing up to go into St Giles, where she wed Sir Chris in 2010, she said that it was a "very bonding experience".
"It was really beautiful and really touching," she said. "Going into St Giles is one part of the experience but queueing and speaking to those in the line... it was a very bonding experience.
"The mood was very sombre but there was touches of humour."
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