Loved to drive a car and had "superpowers": former assistant to Elizabeth II reveals little-known facts from the Queen's life

Samantha Cohen from Brisbane, a former assistant to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain who helped her for over 18 years, revealed little-known facts about the monarch. According to the woman, the royal was extremely shy, loved to drive a car, and found it easy to get along with her subjects.

In an interview with The Times, Cohen described her relationship with the Queen as "unique." "It was very respectful," the Austrian recalls. "There were no favorites. I felt that my job was to make her life as easy as possible." In return, Samantha says, Elizabeth "was an incredible boss."

Hospitality and family life

For almost two decades, Cohen and her family traveled with the monarchs. The Queen invited her assistant to spend Christmas in Sandringham, Norfolk, they spent summers in Balmoral, Scotland, and Easter was traditionally celebrated in Windsor. The assistant had lunch and dinner with Elizabeth and Prince Philip every day.

In Sandringham, Her Majesty provided the young family with a cottage. "We took the dog. They made us feel like such honored guests, part of their lives. The Queen was extremely kind and gave us all Christmas presents, handwritten cards," says Samantha.

Shyness and a thirst for "extreme"

Samantha describes the Queen as a "shy person" who valued her privacy and the sanctity of Balmoral. "She wanted to be a family woman [like the Queen]. It was important to her," she says. "She liked to have everyone over for the summer, to assign rooms and check them herself. Cohen also recalls the Queen's love of speeding behind the wheel, which made the passengers' faces appear much whiter: "She was bold. She drove her cars fast around Balmoral."

"She had no ego"

Above all, the Austrian says, the Queen "had no ego," despite being one of the most famous women in the world. "It always struck me that in the world of celebrity, where all sorts of stars came to the palace, the queen was their antithesis," Samantha explains.

"She was a maestro. She understood that this was her role. She took it very seriously and performed it to perfection. But she knew that it was separate for her as a person. She never showed off, never felt tempted to show off. I loved that about her so much because she had no ego," Cohen said.

She knew how to communicate with her subjects

In 2011, 85-year-old Elizabeth made her last trip to her subjects in Australia. Many locals believed it would be their last chance to see her. "She was overwhelmed by the number of people who came," says an aide. "She was down-to-earth, so she could talk to people about cattle, horses and dogs, and was just as comfortable speaking in parliament. She was interested in all areas of life and listened, really listened. That was her superpower."

Happiness is in the little things

According to Cohen, the Scottish castle of Balmoral, where Elizabeth spent her last days, has preserved the warmest memories of her. Samantha recalled a situation in 2017. She went to her boss's office when Elizabeth was sitting in the living room reading the mail.

"Oh, wait a minute, there's a butterfly, we need to get it out," the royal said to the assistant. "There was a butterfly sitting on the book - she got up, picked it up, and it flew away. Then I caught it and it flew out of my hands. It was fun, she was laughing, I was laughing, in the end she caught it, we opened the window, let the butterfly out, and she said: "So, where were we?". She was so happy. We were just having fun," Cohen said.

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