A rare interview with a former royal aide about working for the Mountbatten-Windsors is going viral

The royal family waves from the balcony at Trooping the Colour
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The royal family is undoubtedly the most talked-about in the world, with the Mountbatten-Windsors never failing to get the world talking. 

From the family's inner circle and age-old traditions to royal perks and the hefty rulebook that they still have to follow, the world is fascinated by the life of The Firm. Particularly given the secrecy around it, with members of the royal family generally keeping tight-lipped about life behind closed Palace doors.

This week however, a royal aide gave a rare interview about working for The Firm, and unsurprisingly, given the interest, it has gone viral.

The royal aide in question, Samantha Cohen, spent 18 years working for the royals, opening up about her experience in a conversation with The Herald Sun.

Royal aide Samantha Cohen

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I was away working a lot with a young family but the Queen made it easy," Cohen recalled of her time working for the late monarch. "If there was an evening function I’d stay over and sleep in my own bedroom at Windsor so I didn’t have to drive back to London at night."

She continued: “When we were on duty at Balmoral we could bring our families. My children had summer holidays there, and when I was on duty every two years at Sandringham, they came there for Christmas. It was a beautiful time."

Going on to talk specifically about the late Queen Elizabeth II, Cohen recalled: "The Queen and I used to talk a lot. I miss her, she was a special woman.”

Cohen also touched on the late Queen's famed sense of humour, explaining to the publication that Her Majesty loved it when things went wrong.

"If a cake was not cutting, or a plaque didn’t unveil - because everything was so perfectly organised - it spiced her life up when things went wrong.”

Cohen stepped down from her royal role in 2019 after 18 years working for The Firm.

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.