Emotional Sir Jackie Stewart says it was a ‘kindness’ the Queen ‘slipped away comfortably and quietly’ as he recalls his decades-long friendship with the most ‘impressive woman he has ever known’
- Sir Jackie Stewart got to know the Queen through friendship with Princess Anne
- It was on a shoot at Windsor as Anne’s guest he built up rapport with the Queen
- The pair became good friends and enjoyed many informal meetings over years
- Appeared on BBC today where he paid an emotional tribute to the monarch
- Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing
Emotional Sir Jackie Stewart has said it was a ‘kindness’ the Queen ‘slipped away’ as he recalled his decades-long friendship with the most ‘impressive woman he has ever known’.
The former Formula One racing driver, nicknamed the ‘Flying Scot’ for his success on the circuit, has been close friends with the Princess Royal and the late monarch, who died last week, for decades.
Appearing on BBC this morning, Sir Jackie appeared grief-stricken as he said he had felt more ’emotional’ about the death of the Queen than any other loss he has felt in his life.
He said he was meant to have been visiting Balmoral today to see the monarch and recalled his last recent visit, adding: ‘She was sharp as a needle. I think the fact that she slipped away in the manner which I’ve heard – which we’d all have preferred not to have happened – was a kindness to the Queen.’
Emotional Sir Jackie Stewart has said it was a ‘kindness’ the Queen ‘slipped away’ as he recalled his decades-long friendship with the most ‘impressive woman he has ever known’ (pictured in 1991)
Appearing on BBC this morning, Sir Jackie appeared grief-stricken as he said he had felt more ’emotional’ about the death of the Queen than any other loss he has felt in his life
Sir Jackie got to know the Queen through his friendship with the Princess Royal, then simply Princess Anne, whose equestrian career highlights coincided with his own triumphs as a three-time world champion. They were both BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners.
At the start of the interview, Sir Jackie spoke about meeting the royals for the first time, explaining: ‘It happened through the Princess Royal because she won the European championship and I happened to be sportsmen of the year, and she was sportswomen of the year.
‘It was [an award] from the Daily Express and [it was at] the Savoy Hotel. I was sitting next to her and for some reason, we started to have conversation and we seemed to get on well together.
‘She’s a great motorist and a very good driver – as was the Queen by the way. Her Majesty the Queen was a fantastically good driver, but so also is the Princess Royal.
During the interview, he said he was only recently supposed to have travelled to Balmoral to visit the Queen
‘I invited her to come away sometime and I took Edward and William to many places, but the Princess Royal I took to Silverstone.’
It was while on a shoot at Windsor as Anne’s guest that he, a prize-winning member of the Scotland shooting team, who narrowly missed out on selection for the 1960 Olympics in Rome, first struck up a rapport with the Queen.
He continued: ‘So that introduced the fact I was introduced to shoot at Balmoral and Sandringham. And one day, the Queen was standing in for the Princess Royal and it was then I met Her Majesty the first-time.
‘We just happened to have a very nice conversation, and from there it built over the years for many years.’
The former Formula One racing driver, nicknamed the ‘Flying Scot’ for his success on the circuit, has been close friends with the Princess Royal and the late monarch, who died last week, for decades (pictured together in 2003)
Sir Jackie went on: ‘[She was] the most impressive lady I’ve ever known in the world. The loss that we have of Her Majesty is beyond…for me, the most amazing reactions I’ve ever had in my life.’
He called it a ‘blessing’ he was supposed to be visiting the Queen at Balmoral today, adding: ‘I was with her very recently and she was in great form, apart from being slightly difficult with a wheelchair – not a wheelchair – with a stick.’
Meanwhile he spoke about the significance of the monarch dying at Balmoral, adding: ‘To die in Scotland was something very special because Balmoral was her favourite place in the world.
Sir Jackie spoke about seeing the Queen ‘recently’ and said she was ‘sharp as a needle’ (pictured together in 2019)
‘And the way that Scotland has responded, you know – the whole country is in mourning.
‘To have Her Majesty driven and the Princess Royal in the car behind with Tim – which must have been a very emotional experience for Her Royal Highness…I just think it was fantastic.
‘For Scotland, the whole country has responded. Edinburgh today is in mourning.
‘The monarchy is very important to our country. When you see what has happened in the US – the demonstrations and the violence that’s occurred…
Sir Jackie, who has been friends with the Princess Royal for decades, had been a regular visitor at Sandringham and Balmoral (pictured in 2020)
‘We have a monarchy, and we should never not have a monarchy and that applies to Scotland in my opinion as well. Her Majesty was a great leader of that.’
He added: ‘I think she was living in Windsor Castle for a great length of time – but for her to go to Balmoral, she was looking forward to it enormously. She loved Balmoral.
‘When she went to Scotland, that was her home. For her to pass away so comfortably and quietly, I think, might have been the case. I think is an enormous blessing.
‘It’s a great loss to us all, and particularly to the family. We have a wonderful royal family and the emotion that was showed in that was tremendous.
‘From my point of view, I was as emotional as I’ve ever been. More so than when I lost 57 of my best friends.
‘I’ve had more emotion from the loss of Her Majesty than I’ve ever had for them – for some reason, people were dying in my sport at that time – but the loss of Her Majesty is something that I think will never be forgotten.
He said the response to the queens death had been ‘wonderful’, adding: ‘For that to occur in the manner, and the emotion shown by everyone I just think it’s so obvious that we should recognise that in the fullest fashion.’
Jackie went on to speak about King Charles’ character, praising him for his first speech to the nation and calling it ‘magnificent.’
Meanwhile, he praised the Princess Royal, who he said had been ‘fantastic’ as she accompanied the Queen’s coffin through Scotland (pictured yesterday)
He said: ‘He couldn’t have carried it more boldly, with more emotion – and yet, with common sense.
‘We have got a monarch now that is taking over from Her Majesty that will carry our country in a way no other country can.’
He added: ‘We have a monarch take over from Her Majesty, who carried it in a way way beyond any monarch. We should recognize that and use it more positively, to be sure that this is continued in that fashion.
‘We have a king now, and he’s a very experienced man, and he has been brought to together by her majesty in a manner which is going to serve us all very well.’
Meanwhile he said the presence of mourners at Buckingham Palace and across the UK paying tribute to Her Majesty was ‘a statement’, adding it was ‘for those who may have other opinions, that the large majority is of the opinion we must have a monarchy.’
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