Royal protection officer Paul Gillender from Baston remembers the Queen
A police officer who worked in royalty protection has spoken of a side to the Queen few saw.
Paul Gillender, who lives in Baston, provided security for the Royal Family at Balmoral, Sandringham, Holyrood and Buckingham Palace for more than 20 years.
And while on duty he often saw a lighter side to Queen Elizabeth II, in which she revealed her humour, kindness and attention to detail.
Paul, a constable, recalls how he once saw a mouse scurry into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace.
"The Queen was at dinner and I was on duty about 20 yards away and saw this mouse run along the skirting board and into the bedroom," said Paul, who quietly informed other staff there was 'an intruder'.
After hearing giggling emanating from the bedroom, the Queen was also told of the unwelcome guest.
Paul said: "She immediately called out: "Dogs!" and the corgis came running in, followed by more laughter and screams from the bedroom.
"The mouse was finally removed in a litter bin," said Paul. "It had been found climbing the curtains."
As well as enjoying the Queen's humour, Paul found her to be thoughtful and kind.
"My last night of service, in 1999, was in Durban in South Africa," he said.
"The Queen was on a state visit and I was selected to go to Ghana, South Africa and Mozambique.
"On the last night before flying to Mozambique I was in the Queen's apartment and I mentioned I didn't want anything major to happen. When she asked why, I said it was it was my last night of service.
"The next morning, I'd been in bed about two hours after the night shift and there was a knock on the door. The Queen's personal protection officer David Robinson said I needed to be 'suited and booted' downstairs."
Hurrying down, Paul was ushered through to find himself with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for a 'farewell audience'.
"I hadn't really mentioned that it was my final shift to anyone else, so I believe it was the Queen who instigated it," said Paul, who was honoured in the Queen's New Year Honours in 1999 with the Royal Victorian Order Medal for services to the monarchy.
He also saw the Queen race to check up on a glider pilot who crash-landed at Balmoral, borrowing Paul's binoculars to make sure the pilot was OK, and saw several examples of the Queen being 'remarkably astute', noticing and remembering tiny details about the people she met.
While Paul did not have to deal with any real intruders during his career, he did make it into a national newspaper by apprehending a goose that had found its way into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.
