Eight Of Queen Elizabeth II’s Closest Companions Within Her Inner Circle

Aug 03, 2021

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch in world history. She is currently the world’s oldest living monarch as she is the reigning queen of England. It’s safe to say that the queen is an extremely powerful woman and her opinions matter. Throughout her many years on the throne and as an important member of the royal family, the queen has made sure to surround herself with trustworthy people.

She has met many people over the years from all walks of life and has built strong relationships with a few as having close confidants is extremely important. While the queen has always made sure to highlight just how much she loves her trusty furry companions, she has also made sure to befriend plenty of noble humans. After Prince Philip’s death, several of her friends and family members were quick to be by her side during her difficult time of mourning.

As the years have passed, the queen has developed great friendships with those closest to her. Here are eight of the queen’s closest friends in her inner circle.

According to the Evening Standard, Lady Mountbatten officially joined the extended royal family when she married Norton Knatchbull in 1979. The queen’s son, Prince Charles, served as the best man at the couple’s wedding. Lady Mountbatten is the founder of the Edwina Mountbatten and Leonora Children’s Foundation, and even took over her and her husband’s estate and carried on with both of their royal duties during the early 2010s. The queen and Penelope have built a very strong relationship over the years, and have even attended Royal Ascot together.

Serving as a Woman of the Bedchamber to Her Majesty, Lady Susan Hussey has become one of the queen’s closest confidants. The two are dear friends, as Baroness Hussey is also Prince William’s godmother and she was selected to accompany the queen at Philip’s funeral.

Susan Rhodes was appointed as an extra lady-in-waiting in 2017, according to Royal Central. Susan is married to Simon Rhodes, the son of the late Margaret Rhodes. Margaret was the queen’s best friend, cousin and lady-in-waiting. According to Royal Central, she was even a bridesmaid at the queen’s wedding. As a lady-in-waiting, Susan’s job mainly consists of helping to collect flowers at events, running errands, handling general correspondence and attending private and personal matters.

Serving as the queen’s advisor, curator and senior dresser since 2002, Angela Kelly has since become a close friend to the reigning monarch, as per the Evening Standard. She has played an important role in making the queen look as fashionable as possible at any event Her Majesty attends, including the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 2012. Kelly sees the queen daily and even accompanies her on trips abroad and to important events. The responsible woman also lives on the grounds of Windsor Castle, as per the Evening Standard.

Time and again, the queen has expressed just how much she loves and cares for horses, so it makes sense that some of her closest friends are also lovers of the animal. John Warren has become one of the most established horsemen in the thoroughbred industry, according to Highclere Racing. He is also the bloodstock advisor to the queen, and has been spotted at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and Royal Ascot alongside Her Majesty.

The queen’s group of friends is full of incredibly important people, including former Formula One racing driver Jackie Stewart. He competed in Formula One from 1965 until 1973, winning three World Drivers’ Championships during that time. In June 2019, the Daily Mail reported that Stewart’s relationship with the royal family has continued to flourish over the years, leading to him and the queen becoming great friends.

Lady Pamela Hicks is the first cousin of the late Duke of Edinburgh, and was a bridesmaid at the couple’s wedding in 1947, as per the Independent. For a brief period of time, she also worked as a lady-in-waiting for the queen. While Pamela has her own relationship with the royal family, her daughter India Hicks does as well. India is a designer who was a bridesmaid at Princess Diana and Charles’ wedding in 1981, as per the Independent. 

In July 2018, Lord de Mauley was appointed as Master of the Horse by Her Majesty. He was officially appointed to the role on Jan. 1, 2019. As a trusted friend and worker to the queen, he was spotted at the Royal Windsor Horse Show alongside her in January 2019.

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