Queen Elizabeth's extremely relatable cheeky phone call to little-known friend
A cheeky call to an American cowboy who was a friend of Queen Elizabeth II once got her out of a sticky situation.
A relatable, yet cheeky call to an American cowboy who was a friend of Queen Elizabeth II once got her out of a sticky situation.
The late Queen shared an unusual friendship with Monty Roberts over a shared love of horses, and only after Queen Elizabeth II's death did he share more about their relationship, which saw him travel twice a year to Britain to train dozens of royal horses.
He described the late Queen as the "perfect friend" detailing a hilarious interaction between the pair on the phone.
On one occasion he called Queen Elizabeth only to be told by an official, "the Queen is stuck in a meeting with the political people of Northern Ireland".
He detailed: "I said I’ll call back and then I heard, 'Monty how are you?' I said, 'Your Majesty, they told me you’re in a meeting.' She said, 'I am in a meeting and was hoping for a way to get out of that meeting so now I’m in another room talking to you'."
They first met when the late Queen invited Roberts to Windsor Castle in April 1989 to demonstrate his humane training technique.
The Times reports the methods Roberts used, completed the saddling up in just 26 minutes using body language and gentle encouragement, rather than the four to six weeks the traditional breaking of horses with ropes and whips takes.
For 33 years, Queen Elizabeth II forged an unlikely friendship with the Californian cowboy and Roberts believes the Queen initially sought him out because of a deep aversion to violence.
Roberts was made a Member of the Victorian Order in the 2011 New Year’s Honours for "services to Her Majesty’s racing establishment".
The horse trainer also attended the funeral of the late Queen on September, 19, 2022 alongside his wife, Pat, and he said he could not hold back the tears when the coffin passed.
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The Queen famously adored animals throughout her 96-year-long life, owning several Corgis as well as more than 100 horses. The Duchess of York famously inherited the beloved corgis after the Queen died.
One of the horses the late Queen owned, was a police service horse named Burmese given to Her Majesty by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and was known to be a particular favourite of hers.
The black mare, gifted to the Queen in 1969, was ridden by Her Majesty for the Trooping the Colour for almost 20 years.
The late Queen's love of riding evolved into a passion for horse racing, and having inherited the breeding and racing stock of her late father King George VI, the monarch bred and owned many thoroughbred horses throughout her reign.
