Does the Queen have friends?

[Royal Smurfness]

(If this thread is mioved, please let me know the new location so that I can find it again and read the answers.)

Does the Queen know friendship?
Does she have a friend?

 

[Lumutqueen]

Yes is the answer, I'm pretty sure at 86? she's known friendship in her life.

Also, if the thread is moved you can always find the new location by looking up all the threads you've created in your profile.

 

[Iluvbertie]

The Queen has a number of close friends. In fact the closer the friend the less likely we are to hear about them as being a friend - that is one of the secrets of being a friend of The Queen - keep quiet about it.

 

[fortimo]

It is a very good question, and I am sure, she has some close friends. What can they do if they meet? Drink tea? Play cards? Play chess? Speak about gossips... ? As other old women? )) ...

 

[dbarn67]

Oddly, I've read the comedienne Joan Rivers is very close friends with Her Majesty.

Queen Sonja of Norway is supposedly quite close as well.

 

[Royal Smurfness]

I heared about a former nanny of one of her children being a friend too, does someone know more?

 

[cepe]

Margaret Rhodes, who is a cousin, is a close personnel friend, as is Lady Susan Hussey ( lady in waiting and godmother to one of the children, Andrew I think). Also she has friends in the racing world, one of them being Lord Porchester who sadly died.

 

[vkrish]

One thing I can say for sure is..
The Queen's "best friend" is definitely not the one whom we/our favourite "media" guess basing on who moves close to her, or who gives more 'leads' to tabloid media, or someone who gets photographed more with her.
This celebrity-lifestyle-guessing-based-on-superficial-appearance atleast doesnt work in her case..

 

[Elly C]

The Queen has a number of close friends. In fact the closer the friend the less likely we are to hear about them as being a friend - that is one of the secrets of being a friend of The Queen - keep quiet about it.

Yes I totally agree. I would imagine her interests provide her with some close friendships from all walks of life. But when it comes to a confidante, I guess her best friend would be Phillip.

 

[EIIR]

Prince Charles said during his Diamond Jubilee tribute to his mother that up to the late 1960s, when security issues became too great, the Queen and her family went ashore in rural Northern Ireland while on their summer holiday on HMY Britannia to see a friend of hers with whom she had served in WWII.

So, HM had kept at least one friend from her ATS days and we knew absolutely nothing about it until Charles mentioned it.

 

[GracieGiraffe]

The Queen has a number of close friends. In fact the closer the friend the less likely we are to hear about them as being a friend - that is one of the secrets of being a friend of The Queen - keep quiet about it.

Good point!

I have heard of Margaret Rhodes. I believe she was also friends with one of Mountbatten's daughters. I think they were in Girl Guides together. She also kept up with some girls from her WWII service days as "Elizabeth Windsor."

 

[cepe]

MArgaret Rhodes at Sandringham church service this year - she was staying with the Queen

Margaret Rhodes Attends Sunday Service Along With Queen

The Mountbatten is Lady Brabourne

 

[Baroness of Books]

I had read somewhere in one of her biographies that HM would sometimes go out to lunch with trusted friends or go to their homes for a relaxing evening there. I expect the latter venue offers a secure and private environment where she can relax and be herself. Who these friends are could very well be those already speculated on, though I'm sure not all of them may around now due to their ages.

 

[scooter]

Unfortunately, at HM's age, her friends start to die off. Long may hers last

 

[COUNTESS]

I, believe, Margaret Rhodes, is her cousin.

 

[monarchist-us]

Her very best friend is probably the Duke of Edinburgh.

 

[Winnie]

I remember very well an article written about an American "pen-pal" that the Queen had since she was a teenager. This woman was invited to a speech the Queen gave while on an American tour years later. Papers commented that the Queen nodded her head in her direction at the time. I often wonder if they still correspond. If the American is still alive. Would be fun for someone to investigate. I do remember that this woman told the newspapers she had no comment to make on this personal and quaint friendship to a Queen. This story was made public by someone looking into why this unknown woman got a special seating to the Queen's speech. I believe this visit took place either in the 60s or 70s. Does anyone else remember?

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I, believe, Margaret Rhodes, is her cousin.

You're absolutley right.

Margaret Rhodes is indeed HM's cousin. Her mother is Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone who was a sister of the Queen Mother. When Margaret was younger, she used to play with HM and during the war, she lived at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace with George VI, The Queen Mother, HM and Princess Margaret. (I knew this before I read the Wikipedia article).

IMO they are friends, as Margaret's daughter Victoria is one of HM's godchildren.

You can read more here:
Margaret Rhodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dman]

Some of her friends have gone on but she still have some of her close circle of friends. She visit or stay at friends houses sometimes. She also invite many of them to Sandringham, Windosr and Balmoral.

 

[Osipi]

You're absolutley right.

Margaret Rhodes is indeed HM's cousin. Her mother is Mary Elphinstone, Lady Elphinstone who was a sister of the Queen Mother. When Margaret was younger, she used to play with HM and during the war, she lived at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace with George VI, The Queen Mother, HM and Princess Margaret. (I knew this before I read the Wikipedia article).

IMO they are friends, as Margaret's daughter Victoria is one of HM's godchildren.

You can read more here:
Margaret Rhodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would even go as far to wager that Margaret Rhodes is not only the Queen's cousin but a very dear lifelong friend. Margaret recently published a book called "The Final Curtsey - A Royal Memoir" which gives insightful gimpses into Margaret's life with the Queen and the Queen Mother.

The Final Curtsey: A Royal Memoir: Margaret Rhodes: 9781780270852: Amazon.com: Books

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I would even go as far to wager that Margaret Rhodes is not only the Queen's cousin but a very dear lifelong friend. Margaret recently published a book called "The Final Curtsey - A Royal Memoir" which gives insightful gimpses into Margaret's life with the Queen and the Queen Mother.

The Final Curtsey: A Royal Memoir: Margaret Rhodes: 9781780270852: Amazon.com: Books

I have the book on my Kindle, and a friend of mine told me that it was an interesting read; but I haven't read it yet as I'm reading two large books already. The book 'My Story: Wartime Princess' is about Princess Margaret's life during the war (it's not written by her, by the way ) and in the book Margaret (Rhodes) is described as 'their very close friend.' So yes, I agree with you about the fact that Margaret Rhodes is a life long friend.

 

[padams2359]

Considering the sheer volume of people coming and going from HM estates, short of going with her to church on Sunday, it is probable easy for friends to come and go. Margaret Rhodes has chosen to step forward, and the queen approves.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Of course many of her closest friends are probably family but I assumed that this discussion was more about those friends who were no also family.

She still has a number of first cousins living - The Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, Prince Michael and Princess Alexandra as well as those from her mother's side of the family such as Margaret Rhodes.

 

[nascarlucy]

The Queen I would guess has had friends throughout her lifetime, although given that she's 86 years old, most likely many of them have passed on or are well into their 70's and 80's.

 

[Lizangela]

I believe there was a children's nurse, or nanny, known as "Bobo" and this lady became a very close friend and confidante up until the day she died. I think she was Queen Elizabeth's nanny when she was a child, and actually sat with her and comforted her during her labour with Prince Charles.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Bobo became her dresser when Elizabeth grew up and was with her until she did indeed die.

 

[ImperioBR]

President Ronald Reagan and Nancy had a very close relationship with the Queen, would have been friends?

 

[timtonruben359]

Of course the Queen has friends though most of her friends tend to be titled and from 'her circle.' As for royalty, I do know the Queen is friends with both the Queen of Denmark and Queen Beatrix. In fact, Queen Beatrix was spending the weekend at Balmoral the day Princess Diana died. I also believe she is close to the King and Queen of Norway. She's also very close to the Greek Royal Family.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Childhood friend

Revealed: The little girl the Queen chose to be her best friend | Mail Online

One of the highlights of the Royal Childhood exhibition which opens at Buckingham Palace today is the Queen's unfinished novel, written when she was just eight. It was called The Happy Farm and dedicated 'To Sonia, My dear little friend and lover of horses.'

And now we can reveal who Sonia was - the girl who became 'my dear little friend' to the most famous woman in the world. It all began in 1930 when, aged just four, Princess Elizabeth of York bumped into Sonia Graham-Hodgson while out playing in Hamilton Gardens, behind the Yorks' London home, 145 Piccadilly, a stone's throw from Hyde Park.

The meeting was significant because, as Elizabeth's governess Marion Crawford recorded, 'Sonia was the one friend whom the Queen chose for herself.'
...

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen Sofía of Spain remarked once: "Queens have no friends". It is know she is only really 100% open to her closest family (spouse and children) and sees her sister Princess Irene as her only real friend.

From Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands four real friends are known:
- Paul Fentener van Vlissingen (1941-2006), one of the richest Dutchmen;
- Lady Elizabeth Shakerley née Anson, sister of the late Earl of Lichfield, a friend from earliest childhood on and once her bridesmaid;
- Lady Renée Bradbrooke Smith née Röell, a friend from earliest childhood on and once her bridesmaid;
- Lady Lydia Stewart-Clark née Loudon, a friend from earliest childhood and once her bridesmaid.
We may assume that the former Queen felt absolutely 100% safe and confident with these four, whom apparently never betrayed her deepest trust in them.