Prince William's ex-aide shares Queen mother's funniest royal tradition

Prince William’s former right-hand man has lifted the curtain on life inside the Royal Family.

He sharing stories about the late Queen, the Princess of Wales, and the decade he spent helping shape the future King.

Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton served as Prince William and Harry’s trusted private secretary for ten years and later helped Princess of Wales, settle into royal life.

After earning an MBE for his role in dismantling a Colombian drugs cartel, he had earlier served as equerry to the Queen Mother he described it as “absolutely unforgettable.”

Among his daily duties was preparing the Queen Mother’s famous pre-dinner Martinis.

“The recipe was seven parts gin to one part vermouth,” he recalled.

“We would literally wave the vermouth over the top. Lots of ice.”

Despite her reputation for generous hospitality, the Queen Mother had a clever trick to avoid overindulging herself.

“Whenever I went around topping up everyone’s drinks, she’d always say, ‘Can I have some ice?’ So everybody else was rolling in the aisles while she was just wonderful.”

Lowther-Pinkerton said their conversations frequently turned to the Second World War, when the Queen became a symbol of resilience for the British public.

“If Adolf Hitler called her the most dangerous woman in Europe, that’s all you need, isn’t it?” he said.

The former palace aide believes many of the Queen Mother’s defining qualities can now be seen in the Princess of Wales.

“The Princess reminds me of her in many ways understated but very, very duty-driven and actually very strong,” he said.

He also fondly recalled the Queen Mother’s playful side, including the time she challenged him to flick peas into the bowl of a dining-room chandelier.

Working alongside both brothers, Lowther-Pinkerton said helping guide the young princes through some of the most important years of their lives was a responsibility he never took lightly.