The Queen has suffered yet another devastating loss in a short space of time.
Scroll down to see what we know so far…
It happened the exact same day as Prince Philip’s funeral…
Read to end for the tragic story…
On 9th April news of Prince Philip’s death was announced.
However we didn’t realise that the Queen would suffer another huge blow so soon after people are now concerned for her wellbeing.
The Royal Family announced Prince Philip’s death in a statement.
“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” it read.
While Prince Philip’s funeral took place over the weekend…
Little did people realise the queen also lost another close friend that same day…
Queen has suffered devastating loss…
Former manager of the Royal Studs, Sir Michael Oswald, has passed away aged eighty-six.
People have been paying their respects online..
Sir Michael advised the Queen and her mother…
On all topics related to horse ridings for almost three decades.
Sir Michael was often pictured by the Queen’s side at races…
The Duchess of Cambridge was also snapped enjoying a chat with the expert.
Sir Michael’s widow, Lady Angela, paid tribute to her husband…
She said: “He always said he had the most wonderful job anybody could ever have had and that for all his working life he was simply doing what he would have done had he been a rich man who didn’t have to work.”
Sir Michael worked for the Queen Mother from 1970 until 2002, prior to becoming the Queen’s racing advisor.
In 2020 he was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO).
Sir Michael would often tell the story of a horse his employer had called Harvest Song.
He called the Queen at Buckingham Palace one day to say it was running, in case they wanted to watch it or record it for her.
“Barry got rather excited at this, asking will it win and should he have a flutter,” he says.
“I told him under no circumstances should he waste any money on it: that I had more chance of winning the 100m at the Olympics.”
Harvest Song started as a 50-1 and won the race by 5 and a half lengths.
Sir Michael rang the Queen to check if she had watched, she replied: “Oh yes, and may I say that Barry is standing next to me. If I was you, I would find some dark glasses and a good disguise next time to come anywhere near this place.”
In 1969, Sir Michael was recruited as manager of the Royal Studs.
Eventually he relocated to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk to enjoy the racing.
Horse racing is a royal passion especially since the Queen learned to ride a horse at the age of 3.
Sir Michael said: “There was never a better and more knowledgeable owner to answer to.”
Nicky Henderson, a renowned trainer of royal jump horses loved his role with the Queen’s horses.
Sir Michael would always go “absolutely anywhere” with Her Majesty to watch her horses run.
“The Queen once said to me that we had to stop Michael traveling all over the country. I did very respectfully point out she was the only one who could do that,” said Mr. Henderson.
The trainer revealed how they won a race for the Queen where the prize was a bronze set of pants as trophies.
“They were laid out on the table ready for the presentations when they suddenly realized that giving the Queen a pair of bronze pants might be deemed inappropriate, so they removed that particular trophy and replaced it with a vase.
“Sir Michael made very clear he wanted the pants not the vase and announced he would be driving them straight to Windsor Castle. The following morning I spoke with the Queen, who said the Duke of Edinburgh had been highly entertained by the prize,” Mr Henderson recalls.
On April 17, following a long illness, he sadly passed away on the exact same day as the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral…
RIP Sir Michael.
