Due to the nature of her role, Queen Elizabeth II was rarely surprised when it came to her birthday.
Almost every year, the beloved monarch would head to the luxurious Ritz Hotel in the heart of London for supper.
But her children – namely Prince Edward – were determined to push the boat out (literally) for her 70th birthday in 1996.
A plan was hatched for the Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family to travel via the River Thames to the famous Waterside Inn at Bray in Berkshire.
Unfortunately, Richard Kay, the Daily Mail’s Editor-at-Large, unknowingly broke the story before Her Majesty could be treated to the unexpected meal.
‘There was uproar at Buckingham Palace,’ Richard confides in this week’s Palace Confidential newsletter.
‘I was accused of spoiling a surprise party, and told that the Queen, because of the very nature of her role, got very few unexpected treats and I had ruined one.’
Not long afterwards, Richard was reporting on one of Her Majesty’s overseas tours during which she hosted a garden party.
Queen Elizabeth is seen with Princess Anne on her 70th birthday on April 21, 1996
To mark the occasion, her children planned to take her to The Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire as a surprise
But, he recalls, he was quietly asked to avoid the Queen – because she was still a little sore about the ‘party episode’.
Doing as he was told, Richard made himself busy by talking to a group of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting.
The following day, one of them let it slip that Prince Philip had spotted this encounter and told them off for talking to ‘that bloody man’.
Both Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were accused of leaking the story to Richard – but he insists they were blameless.
Indeed, the truth behind where the story came from is even more unbelievable.
To find out more, read the latest edition of the Palace Confidential newsletter by signing up here.
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Richard Kay, the Daily Mail’s Editor-at-Large, broke the story about the surprise the Queen’s children were planning for her 70th birthday in 1996
Prince Philip (pictured in 1996) told a group of ladies-in-waiting off for talking to ‘that bloody man’
The Queen at The Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire for her 90th birthday in 2011. She also celebrated there for her 70th birthday in 1996
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