#Goodwood Operation

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Here are ten more lesser-known facts about Bentley and Rolls-Royce:

1. Bentley's Le Mans Dominance: Bentley gained fame in the 1920s for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race multiple times, including a streak of four consecutive wins from 1927 to 1930.

2. Rolls-Royce's Silent Engine Test: Rolls-Royce famously tests their engines in a specially designed room called the "Silent Room" to ensure they operate silently and smoothly.

3. Bentley's Connection to W.O. Bentley: Bentley Motors was founded by Walter Owen Bentley, known as W.O. Bentley, in 1919. He was deeply involved in the design and engineering of Bentley cars until the company's acquisition by Rolls-Royce.

4. Rolls-Royce's Bespoke Options: Rolls-Royce offers extensive customization options for their cars, allowing customers to create truly bespoke vehicles tailored to their preferences, from materials to finishes.

5. Bentley's Continental GT Lineage: The Bentley Continental GT, launched in 2003, revived the Continental name which was previously used for Bentley's famous racing cars and luxury coupes in the 1950s.

6. Rolls-Royce's Parent Companies: BMW acquired the rights to the Rolls-Royce brand in 1998, leading to the formation of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd., while the original Rolls-Royce plc continued as an aerospace company.

7. Bentley's Crewe Headquarters: Bentley Motors is headquartered in Crewe, England, where all Bentley cars have been manufactured since 1946. Crewe is also known for its long tradition of luxury car production.

8. Rolls-Royce's Goodwood Factory: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Goodwood, England, where every Rolls-Royce car is meticulously handcrafted by skilled artisans.

9. Bentley's Continental Flying Spur: The Bentley Continental Flying Spur, a luxurious four-door sedan, was first introduced in 2005 as a companion to the Continental GT coupe, sharing its platform and design ethos.

10. Rolls-Royce's Phantom Name: The Rolls-Royce Phantom nameplate has been in continuous use since 1925, making it one of the longest-standing models in automotive history and synonymous with luxury and prestige.

These additional facts further illustrate the deep heritage, craftsmanship, and unique characteristics that define Bentley and Rolls-Royce in the automotive industry.

[oldschoolfrp]

Wargames of D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the Normandy breakout, Operations Cobra and Goodwood

Cobra: Game of the Normandy Breakout, TSR, 1984, Larry Elmore credited as illustrator (designed by BE Hessel and updated by David James Ritchie, originally published by SPI in Strategy & Tactics magazine #65, 1977, then as an SPI boxed game in 1978; the TSR edition expands the scope by including the D-Day landings and the battles of Cherbourg and Caen)

Breakout: Normandy, Avalon Hill, 1993, Michael Reis box art with text recolored for ad in The General V29 N2 (designed by Don Greenwood and James Stahler; republished in 2011 by L2 Design Group)

St Lo: Normandy 1944: The Breakout Begins, West End Games, 1986, with Robert Berran box art (designed by Joseph M. Balkoski; republished in 2021 by War Drum Games/Quarterdeck International)

[captain-price-unofficially]

A British Army M4 Sherman Crab flail tank crosses a Bailey bridge over the Orne, as it moves up to the start line for Operation 'Goodwood', 18 July 1944

[lost-carcosa]

A Tesla Cybertruck, which is illegal to drive in the UK due to safety concerns, has been seized by police in Greater Manchester.

Officers spotted the eye-catching vehicle, which carries a price tag of about £48,000, in Whitefield, Bury, and stopped the driver on Thursday night.

In April 2024, Tesla recalled thousands of its new Cybertrucks, which weigh more than three tonnes, after concerns about its accelerator pedals.

In a social media post, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with the Cybertruck."

It said the vehicle, which was registered and insured abroad, was confiscated and they had reported the driver, who is a UK resident.

Their post added: "The Tesla Cybertruck is not road-legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity."

The Cybertruck, which is made of rocket-like, bullet-proof steel materials, was launched in 2019.

The vehicle has been on a promotional tour across the Middle East and Europe, including at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK in 2024.

However, it has not yet passed UK road safety tests.

GMP said the car that was seized had been referred to Operation Wolverine, which was established in 2007 to target drivers without insurance.

The owner will have to prove ownership and correct insurance prior to release.

[insilanar]

Quadrant posted a story on ig two hours ago with 'smooth operator' as background music... the story is completely unrelated to Carlos (I think it's about goodwood festival).

But WHY would they randomly choose that song??

They really ARE soft launching Carlando now. It's real! ✨

[ivovynckier]

Can you imagine Steven Spielberg humiliating his composer John Williams in public?

That’s what happened during the post-production of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “Torn Curtain”.

As Bernard Herrmann, who had delivered the goodies on Hitchcock’s classic movies - the screeching violin in “Psycho”, the obsessive motifs of “Vertigo” - was recording his new score, Hitchcock shut the recording session down and stormed off.

He then did what the studio had been suggesting all along by going for a “younger” type of music. (You can read “younger” as less edgy and melodic instead of rhythmic.)

The 100% melodic British film composer John Addison took the baton and wrote a romantic score with some spy movie elements. He created a Cold War, Eastern-European mood with very simple means, for instance.

Addison is best known for scoring the epic World War II movie “A Bridge Too Far” (Richard Attenborough).

Uncanny detail: as a young man, tank commander Addison participated in the Normandy landings and got wounded during the tank battle that liberated the French city Caen. Operation “Market Garden”, shown by Attenborough, came after operation “Goodwood”, the invasion.

[usafphantom2]

#onthisday in 1944 Operation Goodwood began. This saw the German battleship Tirpitz targeted by the Fleet Air Arm. 35 Fairey Barracudas took part and despite a number of attacks the Tirpitz was not heavily damaged.

@classicwarbirds via Twitter

[monkeyssalad-blog]

428 de Havilland Tiger Moth DH 82A (1942) G-ANEN by Robert Knight Via Flickr: de Havilland Tiger Moth (1931-34) Engine 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine Production 8,868 Registration Number G-ANEN AIRCRAFT ALBUM www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157626970256152 The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. The Second World War had RAF Tiger Moths operating in other capacities, including maritime surveillance and defensive anti-invasion preparations; some aircraft were even outfitted to function as armed light bombers. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until it was replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk during the early 1950s. The DH82A Tiger Moth, sometimes refereed to a Tiger Moth II is a two seat primary trainer aircraft. Powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major piston engine and fitted with a hood over the rear cockpit for blind flying instruction. Named Tiger Moth II in RAF. Tiger Moth G-ANEN Was taken on charge as DE410 at 10 MU RAF Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, 25.03.1942. Transferred 23.8.42 To 28 EFTS RAF Pendeford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 23.8.42 coded “93”. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 21.7.45. To 23 RFS (Reserve Flying School). RAF Usworth, Sunderland, County Durham 26.1.50 coded “RSA-G”. To 7 RFS (Reserve Flying School) RAF Desford, Leicestershire 26.3.51. To 9 MU RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire 14.11.51 for storage pending disposal.. Struck off charge charge when sold 15.10.53 to Association of British Aero Clubs. UK civil registered asa G-ANEN (C of R R4158) 2.10.53 to Link Training Services Ltd, London SW3 (aircraft based at Elstree Aerdrome, Elstree, Herfordshire). C of A not known. Registration G-ANEN cancelled 11.10.53 as 'sold to Belgium - OO-ACG'.. Delivered 25.10.53 and re-registered in Belgium as OO-ACG [C of R 995] 18.2.54 to L Vlieghe, Lier/Keerbergen. Re-registered 22.3.55 to D Jordens, Tienen/Aalst. Re-registered 12.6.57 to J Bogaerts, Grimbergen. Re-registered 4.3.58 to Publiciel sprl, Grimbergen. Registration G-ANEN 2.4.92 restored (C of R G-ANEN/R2) to Michael David Souch, Durley, Hants. Rebuilt at Hedge End and reflown in 1995; C of A renewed 21.7.95. Re-registered (C of R G-ANEN/R3) 22.3.96 to Robert James Jackson, Salisbury. Wiltshire [aircraft based at Old Sarum]. Sold 7.2000 and re-registered (C of R G-ANEN/R4) 15.5.2001 to Dr Anthony John Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, Chichester (based Goodwood). Damaged 17.3.2003 in a forced landing at Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex. According to the AAIB Report into the incident:. Repaired and returned to service. Damaged when tipped on nose on take-off Goodwood 13.7.2005..Repaired and returned to service. Sold 8.2007 (but not re-registered) to David Wildridge & Simon Holland, Bicester. Oxfordshire. Re-registered (C of R G-ANEN/R5) 18.5.2009 to David Brian Wildridge, trustee of the G-ANEN Group, Bicester, Oxfordshire. C of A replaced by Permit to Fly 28.11.2014. Re-registered (C of R G-ANEN/R6) 14.5.2019 to Timothy William Kenyon Emrys-Roberts, trustee of the G-ANEN Group, Bicester, Oxfordshire. Currently registered and airworthy. Diolch am 89,103,703 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr. Thanks for 89,103,703 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated. Shot 10.10.2021 at Bicester Scramble, Bicester, Oxon. Ref. 122-428

[smartphonerepairhubs]

What Are The Common Signs Your Computer Needs Repair?

Our computers are necessary for work, play and remaining connected in the modern digital world. When problems arise with your computer, it can be upsetting and annoying. That’s where the expert computer repair service comes in to troubleshoot your issues. In this guide, we will explore some of the common signs that your computer might need professional attention.

Frequent Crashes

Regular system freezes, crashes or the dreaded "blue screen of death" (BSOD) are telltale signs of deeper problems. Software conflicts, overheating and hardware malfunctions are possible causes of these issues. The group of professionals may carry out thorough diagnostics to pinpoint the cause of the problems and provide suitable options for computer repairs in Adelaide.

Software Errors

Do you frequently get error messages or have program crashes? These flaws might cause disturbances to your work process and suggest deeper faults with your operating system or software programs. The professionals in computer repair in Adelaide are capable of fixing compatibility problems, updating or reinstalling troublesome apps and troubleshooting software faults.

Hardware Component Failures

It is necessary to seek expert services for computer repairs in Goodwood if any particular hardware components such as the keyboard, mouse or display are not working properly. The specialists can fix or swap out certain hardware parts to get your computer back up and running.

Ignoring these typical indicators of computer problems might result in more serious problems, longer downtime and possibly even data loss, all of which can be expensive and annoying. We are your go-to source for expert computer repair and maintenance services because of this. The group of professionals is committed to identifying and fixing a variety of computer issues so that your gadget functions properly. Trust the professionals for your computer repair and don’t look for a quick fix. Recognising these common signs of computer trouble is the first step towards timely and effective repair.

[automundoarg]

Mika Hakkinen y el McLaren Solus GT emocionan en Goodwood

El bicampeón de Fórmula 1 condujo el súper GT británico decorado como el McLaren MP4/13 con el que logró su primera corona en la Máxima.

El finlandés Mika Hakkinen, dos veces campeón mundial de Fórmula 1, volvió a ponerse al volante de un McLaren como en sus viejos tiempos en la máxima categoría. Aunque esta vez fue sobre un McLaren Solus GT y nada menos que en el Festival de la Velocidad de Goodwood de este año. El modelo conducido por Hakkinen, monarca de la F.1 en 1998 y 1999, fue personalizado por McLaren Special Operations…

[hifilounge]

Looking Back at the Silverstone Festival 2023, What A Blast it Was!

Looking Back at the Silverstone Festival 2023, What A Blast it Was!

Hi All,

So I just thought I’d look back at last Weekend’s Silverstone Festival which I had been looking forward to for a long time, for 2 reasons really, firstly we finally get to race our 1961 Lotus Formula Junior, 18 months after buying her and after a 12 month restoration, and also we were invited to drive the Nascar around the Silverstone Grand Prix track for some demo runs so I finally get to see what it is capable of as since owning the 24 I have really only driven it up the Goodwood FOS hill climb, as amazing as that is it isn’t really what the car was designed for so at last I’ll be able to give it some beans down the long straights at Silverstone.

Thursday.

The latest Custodian of this gorgeous 1961 Lotus Formula Junior.

We were going to be at Silverstone for 4 days, the Thursday being a test day in the Lotus, this was to be my first real drive in the Junior so I was certainly keen to get out and see what she was like, we were only going to get 2 x 25 minute sessions but I am well aware that seat time is everything in motorsport so I was keen to get every second I could. Unfortunately both sessions had red flags in the middle of them so we didn’t get as much time as I’d have liked, in my head I wanted to get down to a 2 minute 38 second lap as that was the time a friend of mine achieved in his first outing last year in his Lotus Type 18 Junior, all the could manage though was a 2:48 so plenty of time still to find.

She drove well though, the engine seems to have a dead spot between 4-6000 revs but the power really comes in between 6-9000 revs so it is just a matter of keeping it in that power band, also the gearbox is a little temperamental, there is no synchromesh on it so it is just a matter of throwing it in which does throw up the odd grinding noise from time to time, what I soon realised was that I need to learn to heel and toe to match the revs to the gear change, I have never done this before and I did try it a few times and only managed to get it right once which worked a treat, the other times I tried went horribly wrong and I missed the apex by a mile, definitely something to work on though as definitely helps.

The real highlight of Thursday was that when coming in at the end of the second test session Jim Clarks Lotus 25 overtook me and I followed it down the Hangar straight which was incredible, the Type 25 is by far my favourite F1 car and I’m a huge Jim Clark fan so that made my weekend, that really was priceless for me.

Friday.

So today was qualifying, luckily it was dry but I was a bit concerned that with 60 cars on track it would be difficult to get any clean laps in but I needn’t have worried as it wasn’t too bad at all, so with a 2:38 lap time in mind I gave my best for the 20 minute session but only got down to a 2:41 and an overall qualifying position of 42 out of 56, not great but after only spending about 30 minutes driving the car in total I guess it could have been worse and a lot of the drivers are Pro’s for this event as there is a lot of prestige in winning the Silverstone Festival. I was really struggling with 2nd gear in the slow left hander ‘The Loop’ which was costing me a lot of time, later I would find out it could be taken in 3rd which would make things a lot easier, and faster.

Then at lunchtime we got to take the Nascar out for it’s first proper drive, since getting the car over from America last year we had always had a water overheating issue, now we weren’t sure if it was a problem or if as the car is designed to run at over 200 mph then it just wasn’t getting enough airflow, around Silverstone this would help to figure this out as we could get some serious speed up, it turns out that it really needs to be moving at speed for the temps to stay in a safe operating window as once we got going then it stayed very constant.

I have to say that the Nascar really couldn’t be anymore different to the Lotus Junior but what an experience it was nailing the throttle down the Hangar Straight, it was like Hyperspace as the car just fly’s, with 900 horsepower the acceleration is off the scale, before you know it Stowe is approaching quicker than you’d like and you have to put a lot of trust that the brakes are going to do their job, it really was an incredible experience but before you know it our time was up, at least we’ll have runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday.

Feeling a little Nervous

Today was a big day, my first race in the Junior and my first ever single seater race, now I don’t generally get nervous but I had never been on a grid this big especially with people that are used to racing this type of car, as you can see from the above pic I was a little apprehensive.

This wasn’t helped that the race was at 9am so I needed to be ready for around 8am but when I got to the garage the 20/22’s battery was totally dead, we didn’t realise that there was no alternator on these cars and you are supposed to put the battery on trickle charge to keep it alive when not being driven so it was looking quite unlikely that I would get to start my first planned single seater race as we only had a few minutes to find a solution. Luckily for us, not for one of my fellow computers though who’s car had an engine issue, we asked around and as he couldn’t race he very Kindly lent us his battery, what a gent, so the race was back on.

To make things even more nerve wrecking we had a lot of rain overnight and the track was still pretty wet so I had no idea what to expect, I was assuming a fair bit of sliding around. So anyway the race started and off we went, as I thought there was a lot of understeer and I went off the track a couple of times, a couple of laps in to the race as I came round Copse I saw my friends Lotus 18 in the gravel looking very sorry for itself, unfortunately he had made contact with another car and had rolled it, luckily he was OK but the car now needs a total rebuild due to a bent chassis, it really was horrible to see this, in the end though I had a great race with one of the front engined Juniors, I felt I was a fair bit quicker than him but didn’t want to force anything so followed him home to finish 38th so at least we had moved forward.

Unfortunately the Nascar demo run was cancelled due to rain which was a shame but it was the right decision as they really are a handful in wet conditions, every event we took the 24 this year had session cancelled due to rain, really sums up the summer of 2023 I guess.

Sunday.

Feeling Racey!

Here we are at the last day, driving in I had to smile as most people have a nice lazy start to a Sunday but my alarm went off at 5.30am, I then drive an hour to Silverstone then get strapped into a race car at 8.30am and am then straight into a race at 9am, certainly a great way to wake you up, luckily the adrenaline kicks in and once the lights go green you are in the zone.

I felt much more relaxed for race 2 having already got one race start successfully under my belt and it was bone dry today so I was keen to really attack for the 20 minute race. Unfortunately we had a full course yellow for a couple of laps after the first lap as someone was off at the side of the track so the race only lasted for around 10 mins but I had another great race with front engined Junior where we kept swapping positions and I ended up coming out in front and I actually got my lap time down to a 2min 37sec in the race, so over the course of the weekend we had gained around 11 seconds so I am confident we can find a lot more time with more time in the car, in the end we bought her home in 33rd so around mid pack which I was really happy with for a first weekend. It is funny as before the weekend started I just wanted to get through it with no issues and to make sure the car was OK, basically use it as a glorified shake down but once that visor drops all those thoughts go out the window and all you want to do is beat the person in front.

Next up at the end of the day was our last run in the Nascar, this time without a safety car so we could give it maximum attack and this was the first time that I felt that I was really driving the 24 rather than just holding on for dear life, such an amazing car, I feel more comfortable driving the Junior but what an experience the Nascar is, the noise and power really is something else.

So there we go, what an amazing 4 days with some incredible memories and experiences, I just can’t wait to get out and race the Junior again, I didn’t know what to expect to be honest but after race 2 I was buzzing, it wasn’t the best finishing position but I had a brilliant race and that is all that matters to me and with more seat time I think we could be reasonably competitive.

I’m hoping to make the final race meeting of the year in the Junior then do a full season next year, watch this space for more updates.

Cheers,

Paul.

[f1]

Schumacher wouldnt say no to another McLaren test as he completes first laps during private run

Mick Schumacher has insisted he wouldn't say no to another test with McLaren after getting behind the wheel of one of the team's F1 cars for the first time. The Mercedes reserve driver carried out a test at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal earlier this week for them. It was announced back in February that Schumacher – who raced for Haas in 2021 and 2022 before taking on his current Mercedes role – had been added to McLaren’s pool of reserves for the 2023 season, via an agreement with the Silver Arrows. READ MORE: Schumacher joins McLaren’s reserve driver pool ahead of 2023 season That means, should regular McLaren drivers Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri be unable to compete, the Woking operation could call upon Schumacher, the son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael. As such, Schumacher was given the chance to test the team’s 2021 Italian Grand Prix-winning MCL35M during a private session in Portimao, helping him prepare for any potential stand-in duties. Ahead of the test, Schumacher spent time in Woking to undergo a seat fit and set out a run plan specifically tailored to him, while meeting team boss Andrea Stella, who worked with his father’s Performance Engineer at Ferrari between 2002 and 2006. “My first test with McLaren was great, we did so many laps out there,” Schumacher said. “It has been really good to get that experience with the team. It is a great team and a great bunch of people. DRIVER MARKET: Lawrence Barretto assesses the chances of a return to the grid for Schumacher in 2024 “We went through the whole schedule beforehand when I was at the factory. We were trying to focus on the things that I think are important for me, in terms of my development, and for the team to get to know me. “We ran through some different projects, it was mainly about driving style and getting to understand the tyre. The tyre we used is an academy tyre, so it is a little different, but it is a great one to learn on and improve my skills, and that is what we were really focused on. Schumacher is carrying out reserve driver duties for Mercedes this season “It was good to get a feeling for driving a race-winning car, as this car won in Monza. It was great gaining the knowledge of how to drive this car and how to get around in it quickly.” Having made his F1 debut with Haas and spent two seasons onboard, Schumacher was replaced by fellow German Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 campaign, with Mercedes subsequently handing him a reserve role that has included plenty of simulator time and some on-track running. READ MORE: ‘There will be many emotions’ – Mick Schumacher preparing for ‘special’ drive in father Michael’s Mercedes at Goodwood “I did the Pirelli test with Mercedes in Barcelona, so it is not like I was coming into this test super, super fresh,” he added. “It is good for me to get as much driving in as possible, and that is why this day is an amazing opportunity for me. I wouldn’t say no to another test with McLaren.” Schumacher will sample another F1 car this weekend as he jumps into the cockpit of the Mercedes W02 driven by father Michael during the 2011 season. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[carbone14]

Les chars Cromwell de la 7e Division blindée britannique se préparent à attaquer Caen par la rive Est de l'Orne – Bataille de Caen – Opération Goddwood – Bataille de Normandie – Calvados – Normandie – France – 18 juillet 1944

Photographe : Sergent Laing - No. 5 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit

©Imperial War Museums - B 7649

[bookloversofbath]

Roads to Falaise: ‘Cobra’ and ‘Greenwood’ Reassessed :: Ken Tout

Roads to Falaise: ‘Cobra’ and ‘Greenwood’ Reassessed :: Ken Tout

Roads to Falaise: Cobra and Greenwood Reassessed :: Ken Tout soon to be presented for sale on the inspired BookLovers of Bath web site! Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2002, Hardback in dust wrapper. Includes: Black & white photographs; Maps; References; From the cover: The twin armoured advances of Goodwood and Cobra, unleashed six weeks after the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944, were…

[grandmaster-anne]

Gyles Brandreth's Exclusive Extract Part 1

The Mail Plus | Published 25 November 2022

SATURDAY and Sunday, ­September 3 and 4. It is the weekend before the Queen’s death. The Right Reverend Dr Iain Greenshields — who is staying with her at Balmoral — finds her ‘in fantastic form’.

He has dinner with her on Saturday evening, gives the sermon at Braemar and Crathie ­Parish Church on Sunday morning, then has lunch with her on Sunday afternoon. They talk about the Queen’s childhood, her horses, church affairs (she is ‘well up to speed’) and her sadness at what is happening in Ukraine.  

This is quite typical. The Queen is good at living in the present but often draws on her memories of the past, grateful for the lessons it has taught her.  

‘She was so alive and so engaging,’ recalled Dr Greenshields later.

Tuesday, September 6. Clive Cox, one of Her Majesty’s favourite racehorse trainers, gets a call from the Queen at 10 am. She wants to chat to him about the prospects for her two-year-old, Love Affairs, who is running in the two o’clock at Goodwood.

‘We talked about the filly,’ he said, ‘how the race might pan out, how another horse of hers was doing in my stable, and about a couple of other things. She was sharp as a tack.’

It is a busy day. Not only does the Queen present her outgoing Communications ­Secretary with an honour, but she also spends time with her fourteenth and fifteenth prime ministers.

Boris Johnson said: ‘She could not have been kinder, more sympathetic or personally ­encouraging.’ Moreover, she was full of ­‘characteristic humour and wisdom’.

Wednesday September 7. Every newspaper is carrying pictures of the Queen at Balmoral yesterday. She appears old, yes — she is 96 — and frail. There is a dark bruise mark on the back of her right hand but she looks alert and very much alive.

She is smiling, looking over the tops of her spectacles at the camera. There is a definite, mischievous twinkle in her eye.

For other royals, today is business as usual. Prince Charles spends the day doing good works in Lanarkshire. Tonight, he is hosting a dinner at Dumfries House in Ayrshire.

Edward and Sophie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, are at events across Lancashire. Princess Anne is visiting the Isle of Skye and the Isle of Ramsay.

By late afternoon, however, rumour is rife. I have a call from my son-in-law (a former Coldstream Guards officer) to say that he is at the Cavalry and Guards Club in Piccadilly, where groups are gathering to discuss the detail of Operation London Bridge — the codename for the action-plan that comes into being the moment the sovereign dies. What has ­happened? Has she had a fall? Has she had a stroke?

Thursday September 8. Rumour had swirled all morning. At 12:32 p.m. Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying the Queen’s doctors were concerned for her health and, though she was ‘comfortable’, recommended she remain under medical supervision while family members were informed. The Queen’s helicopter left Windsor Castle at 6:48 a.m. to collect Prince Charles from Dumfries House where he had spent the night. He reached Balmoral at 10:27 a.m. Camilla had spent the night at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate and was driven by car to join him.

Charles leaving Dumfries house to rush to the Queen's bedside

The Princess Royal was already there — at her mother’s side to the end. Andrew and Edward, the Queen’s younger sons, and Sophie, Edward’s wife, and Prince William and Prince Harry were reported to be on their way.

There was confusion about whether or not Harry’s wife, Meghan, would go up to Scotland with him. When it became clear that Catherine was not going because she would be collecting her children from school, it emerged that Meghan was not going, either.

Andrew, Edward and Sophie, and Prince William arrived at Aberdeen airport in an RAF executive jet at 3:50 p.m. and William drove the four of them to Balmoral, 45 miles away. They arrived at 5:06 p.m. Queen Eli

The formal announcement of her death came from Buckingham Palace at 6:30 p.m. while Prince Harry was still in the air. His flight from Luton airport to Aberdeen was delayed. He was the last of the family to arrive at Balmoral, and the first to leave. Travelling to a BBC studio in London in the early evening, I saw a double rainbow in the sky above Buckingham Palace.

And I found out from a friend in the racing world that the Queen’s horse, Love Affairs, comfortably won the two o’clock at Goodwood on Tuesday: ‘led field centre, made all, ridden and stayed on gamely final furlong, unchallenged’.

The truth is that Her Majesty always knew that her remaining time was limited. She accepted this with all the grace you’d expect. 

‘Her faith was everything to her.  She told me she had no regrets,’ said Dr Greenshields, referring to the last weekend he spent with her at Balmoral.

I had heard that the Queen had a form of myeloma — bone marrow cancer — which would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life. The most common symptom of myeloma is bone pain, especially in the pelvis and lower back, and multiple myeloma is a disease that often affects the elderly.  

Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment — including medicines to help regulate the immune system and drugs that help prevent the weakening of the bones — can reduce the severity of its symptoms and extend the patient’s survival by months or two to three years.   

Was the Queen given steroids to help get her through that important final day of duty two weeks ago? Was that bruise on the back of her hand that we saw in the photographs of her with Liz Truss the mark left by an intravenous cannula? Or was it simply the kind of accidental bruise that comes with old age?  

All I do know is that ‘cause of death’ on her death certificate will be given simply as ‘old age’ — just as it was for the Duke of Edinburgh last year.  

‘Old age’ is a quite commonly listed cause of death when a patient is over 80 and their doctor has cared for them over time and seen their gradual decline.

(When the Queen’s death was registered on 16 September my prediction proved accurate. The death was certified by Dr Douglas James Allan Glass, a local GP and official apothecary to the Queen who had been looking after her in Scotland for more than 30 years and who was with her when she died. Dr Glass said: ‘We have been concerned about the Queen’s health for several months. It was expected and we were quite aware of what was going to happen.’)

When Prince Philip retired in 2019, the Queen very deliberately left him to it. She carried on with her royal duties at Buckingham Palace or at Windsor Castle while he lived out his days at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate.

They would speak regularly on the phone, but weeks could go by without them seeing one another. That shocked some people, though not those who appreciated how well the Queen understood her husband — understood his wish to be left to his own devices, ‘not to be fussed over’, to be allowed, after more than 70 years of duty, to see out his days in his own way.

When the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world in 2020, however, Prince Philip decided to spend ‘lockdown’ with the Queen, and a small retinue of staff, at Windsor Castle.

And when lockdown was lifted, Philip and Elizabeth, having spent more time close together than they had done in years, decided it rather suited them. They left Windsor together and travelled up to Balmoral together for their traditional summer break.

When that was over, they went back to Sandringham — but not to the big house. Instead, together they went to live at Wood Farm, Philip’s bolthole, the un-grand, unpretentious place he regarded as his home on the estate.

It’s where he wanted to end his days, and the Queen wanted to be with him to the end. But on February 16, 2021, the Duke was admitted to hospital in London as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell.

On March 3, he underwent a successful procedure for an existing heart condition. He was discharged 13 days later and returned to Windsor Castle.

Three weeks later, his death was announced at noon, April 9, with the release of a statement saying he had ‘died peacefully’ that morning at Windsor Castle.

His daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, described his death as ‘so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went’.

The Queen was reported to have been at her husband’s bedside when he died on the morning of April 9, 2021. In fact, I don’t believe she was.   

The Duke of Edinburgh had been in a hospital bed, set up in his dressing room at Windsor Castle. That morning, he went to the bathroom, helped by a nurse.  

When he came back, he said he felt a little faint and wanted help getting back into bed.  The nurse called the Duke’s valet and the Queen’s page, Paul Whybrew, for help — and he died before the Queen could be called.

The Queen wasn’t yet up. And she wasn’t called until after a doctor had come and pronounced the Duke dead.   

He was being laid out when the Prince of Wales arrived. Charles waited and had a cup of tea, but went away without seeing his father.

Prince Edward did see him and then, gradually, the rest of the family began to arrive. As they tried to comfort the Queen, the Queen was comforting them.

It helped that Elizabeth was accustomed to her own company. Even when her husband was alive, she had so often spent evenings on her own.

Immediately after Prince Philip’s funeral, she returned to her apartment in Windsor Castle in silence.

‘I helped her off with her coat and hat,’ her dresser, Angela Kelly, remembered, ‘and no words were spoken. The Queen then walked to her sitting room, closed the door behind her, and she was alone with her thoughts.’ When Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria retreated from the world. When Prince Philip died, Queen Elizabeth II went towards it.

She knew it was her Christian duty to carry on as best as she could. ‘There is no magic formula that will transform sorrow into happiness,’ she said, ‘but being busy helps.’

In the immediate aftermath of Prince Philip’s death, Vice Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt, the cheery Master of the Household, told me: ‘My principal duty with HM has been to keep her spirits up — so I’ve been watching Line of Duty with her . . . I’m “the Explainer”! It’s very funny.’

The 95-year-old widow of Windsor laughed as she struggled to understand the convoluted plotting and sometimes incomprehensible dialogue in the popular ‘police procedural’ television series.

She enjoyed watching television, she told me: ‘It keeps me in touch — when I can understand what’s being said. There’s an awful lot of mumbling on television now. It’s not my hearing. They just don’t seem to speak as clearly as they used to do.’

Her grieving was private, but in public the Queen was determined to carry on as normal. ‘Life goes on,’ she said. ‘It has to.’

That first summer after Philip’s death, she chose to dress — as she herself put it — ‘as cheerfully as possible.’ With the help of Angela Kelly, she opted for yellow and pink and powder blue, in summery dresses with pretty floral designs.

Her closeness to Kelly, the daughter of a Liverpool dockworker, did not always go down well; the ladies-in-waiting found her a nuisance at times. The dresser was from a quite different background to theirs, and irritated some at court with her no-nonsense Northern manner, her easy access to the Queen and her effortless familiarity with her.

They particularly resented the way Kelly felt able to step out of line to adjust the Queen’s clothes or drop a word in her ear at what they considered to be inappropriate moments. But they could do nothing about it because the Queen regarded Kelly as one of her true friends.

She was dazzling in green when she opened the Scottish Parliament on October 2, 2021. A few days later, all in pink this time, she opened the Welsh Senedd in Cardiff.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were also on parade for both visits. ‘We weren’t required,’ the Duchess said to me soon afterwards, laughing. ‘We were there to help out if necessary. It wasn’t necessary. The Queen did it all. She wanted to. She’s unstoppable.’

For six months following Prince Philip’s death, the Queen did so much, so purposefully and with such a determination not to give way to any form of self-pity (which, she said, ‘My husband would certainly not have approved of’), that she probably did too much.

In the autumn of 2021, she had a sudden ‘energy low’. She felt exhausted. Her ­doctors ordered her to ‘rest a bit, not to push herself so much, to take it easy.’

She had planned to attend ‘COP’, the climate change conference in Glasgow, in person on November 1 but, in the event, had to record a video message instead.

She had also hoped to attend the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph — fixtures in her calendar — but was persuaded not to. ‘I’ve got to be sensible,’ she said. Until then, her energy had been little short of astonishing. Over her final decade, she’d not only continued her work as monarch but actively engaged with modern life.

She had her own mobile phone, and obliging grandchildren ready to show her how it worked. She understood ‘texting’ though was rather defeated by ‘apps’. And she did not allow her grandchildren to bring their ‘devices’ to the dining table, under any circumstances.   

Believe it or not, I think I once heard Her Majesty refer to the lavatory as ‘the toilet’ — in a concession to the vocabulary of the younger generation.  

She had loved the early James Bond films — ‘before they got so loud’, she said.

And it was thanks to Bond that she famously made a truly dramatic entrance when the 2012 Olympics were staged in London, in a filmed sketch with Daniel Craig. Craig was seen running up the red-carpeted stairs at Buckingham Palace, meeting two of the royal corgis, being greeted by the Queen’s page and ushered into the royal presence.

It was the Queen’s own idea to keep Bond waiting a moment as she signed off a letter, before turning around to say: ‘Good evening, Mr Bond.’

Her line delivered, the Queen, accompanied by Bond and her page and her corgis, walked with purpose to the waiting helicopter that transported her past the statue of Winston Churchill in ­Parliament Square (Churchill looked up and gave Her Majesty a wave —she especially liked that touch), along the course of the river Thames, to the Olympic park in East London.

 ‘She was a natural,’ said Daniel Craig. ‘I was definitely more ­nervous than she was.’

Lord Janvrin, the Queen’s former private secretary, told me he was sure the Queen wouldn’t have done the stunt during the Queen Mother’s lifetime. ‘Why?’ I asked him.

‘Simply because she would have felt her mother wouldn’t have approved — that it would have been a bit undignified.

The Queen became less inhibited in several ways after her mother’s death [in 2002], less constrained, more relaxed.’

There was a different Bond connection when it came to the Queen’s next dramatic outing. In 2022, for the Platinum Jubilee long weekend of celebrations marking her 70 years on the throne, the Queen played herself in a delightful sketch with Paddington Bear, the creation of author Michael Bond.

In the scene, Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is taking tea with Her Majesty at Buckingham ­Palace and offers her one of his marmalade sandwiches — which it turns out the Queen doesn’t need because she already has her own marmalade sandwich, hidden in her handbag.

This time, much more in terms of acting was asked of the Queen than had been at the time of the Olympics — and she delivered in full measure. I happened to be working with Britain’s most honoured film and stage actress at the time, Dame Judi Dench, and she said to me the day after she had seen it, ‘Wasn’t she good? I mean, really, really good.

‘Her timing was perfect. Every look, every line was just right. It was completely on the money — none of it over-stated. Just wonderful.’

She added, laughing: ‘I’m quite worried. She’s going to be offered all my work now.’

What did the Queen make of it? ‘Great fun,’ she said. She marvelled that such a large crew had appeared at the palace to film such a short sequence, and she was truly amazed that word of it didn’t leak out before the day of transmission.

‘Everyone kept the secret,’ she said, delighted. ‘That was lovely.’

IN ROYAL circles the Duke of York is now someone — like Harry and Meghan —whom it’s better not to talk about.

There is no doubt, however, that the Queen loved her second son to the last. When she died, each of her children published a personal statement about her. Part of Prince Andrew’s read: ‘Mummy, your love for a son, your compassion, your care, your confidence I will treasure forever. I have found your knowledge and wisdom infinite, with no boundary or containment. 

‘I will miss your insights, advice and humour. As our book of experiences closes, another opens, and I will forever hold you close to my heart with my deepest love and gratitude, and I will tread gladly into the next with you as my guide.’

Some of the turns of phrase could have been written by his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who still shares a home with the prince, but the part of the message he very much wanted the rest of us to take note of was where he spoke of the ‘confidence’ the Queen had shown in him. 

Prince Andrew stepped down from public life in 2019 over his friendship with the ‘billionaire paedophile’ ­Jeffrey  Epstein. He was stripped of his honorary military roles, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, and obliged to give up his HRH style in public. But his mother stood by him. She loved her boy. She retained her ‘confidence’ in him. 

That said, there had been a cloud hanging over his reputation, and the Queen was a realist. She essentially fired her own son. A senior courtier said to me, ‘There was a lot of nonsense talked about no one being at the helm, but the Queen took a firm grip of things. To use the military jargon, there was only a few days between flash and bang. Action was called for and the Queen took it.’

The day after firing Andrew, however, she showed us how much she loved him by taking him riding with her through Windsor Great Park in the rain and ensuring that there were photographers on hand to capture the shot. She was also glad to have him at her side as she travelled to her husband’s memorial service.   

The rest of the Royal Family was less happy to see Prince Andrew taking centre stage — not because of any personal hostility, but because they feared the pictures of him side by side with Her Majesty would dominate press coverage of the memorial service. And so it proved.The Duke of York, of course, told his mother the whole story of his long relationship with Epstein, all the ins and outs of it, and the details of the accusations made against him.

The first time he gave her the full account of the whole sorry saga, she listened carefully. Then the Queen, who never said more than was necessary, responded with just one word: ‘Intriguing.’

I chair ‘The Oldie of the Year Awards’ where we honour people of a certain age who still have what might be described as ‘snap in their celery’. So last year, post the pandemic lockdown, I wrote to the Queen’s private secretary to ask whether Her ­Majesty might consider accepting the Oldie of the Year Award.  

A witty reply was sent to me from ­Balmoral Castle on August 21, 2021: ‘Her ­Majesty believes you are only as old as you feel. As such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient. 

‘This message comes to you with Her ­Majesty’s warmest best wishes.’

After the birth of Prince Andrew, the Queen — according to one of her ladies-in-waiting — ­suffered ‘post-natal side effects’ because the baby had been born using the now-discredited method of ‘twilight sleep’. 

‘Dammerschlaf’ was a form of childbirth ­pioneered in Germany in the early twentieth century in which the adminstration of drugs (morphine and scopolamine) puts the patient into an amnesic state during labour. The mother remains semi-conscious but apparently pain-free and has no subsequent recollection of the experience. The baby is delivered by forceps. 

In fact, Charles and Anne were also delivered via the ‘twilight sleep’ method — and Prince Edward’s was the first birth not to involve it. The difficult aftermath of Andrew’s birth may possibly have put the Queen off that delivery method for good.

2ND EXTRACT