Royal Family News
Queen Elizabeth II’s trusted horse racing advisor, Sir Michael Oswald, has passed away on the same day as her husband Prince Philip’s funeral.
The Queen and the Queen Mother’s racing interests were looked after by Sir Michael for almost 30 years.
He was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey in 1934 and attended Eton and later King’s College, Cambridge.
Sir Michael was then recruited as manager of the Royal Studs.
He worked for the Queen Mother from 1970 until 2002 before becoming Her Majesty’s racing advisor after her passing.
Sir Michael Oswald passed away from a long illness on Saturday, April 17th, according to The Times.
While it is not yet known how he passed away, the senior editor of the Racing Post shared the sad news on Twitter on Sunday with the Post.
Sir Michael was regularly pictured next to royals at racing events over the years.
Trending:
Paying tribute to her husband, Lady Angela, Oswald’s wife, who was the Queen Mother’s lady-in-waiting for many years, told the Racing Post that he always said he had the most wonderful job anyone could ever have had and that for all his working life, he was simply doing what he would have done had he been a rich man who didn’t have to work.
The Queen’s current racing advisor, John Warren, said Sir Michael did a magnificent job in managing the Royal Studs.
He was extraordinarily enthusiastic and got such a buzz out of all the Royal winners.
Sir Michael was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in last year’s New Year’s Honours list.
The expert fondly remembered his time working with the Queen and once gave an insight into her dry sense of humour.
Sir Michael had called aide Barry Mitford to let him know that a horse the Queen owned called Harvest Song was running and it would be shown on TV in case the monarch wanted to watch.
Barry got rather excited at this, asking will it win and should he have a flutter.
Sir Michael told him under no circumstances should he waste any money on that, that he had more chance of winning the 100 metres at the Olympics.
Incredibly, the 50-1 outsider won the race by five and a half lengths.
When Sir Michael later rang the Queen to ask if she’d watched the race, she replied, “oh yes, and may I say that Barry is standing next to me.
If I was you, I would find some dark glasses and a good disguise next time to come anywhere near this place.”
Sir Michael’s passing came as another blow to the Queen, who was already mourning the loss of her husband of more than seven decades.
The Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest on Saturday in an emotional funeral in Windsor with just 30 mourners in attendance.
The grieving Queen sat alone as she said a final farewell to her beloved husband on her saddest and most difficult day.
According to Mail Online, on Sunday the 94-year-old monarch had driven herself to Frogmore Gardens, her beloved spot in Windsor, for some quiet contemplation.
Sources say visiting Frogmore regularly will help the Queen deal with her grief after Prince Philip’s death.
The gardens are one of her favourite parts of the estate to walk her new puppies, Doggie Fergus and Corgi Muck.
Sir Michael Oswald was clearly a very lovely man.
He died yesterday and is remembered here with great fondness and some super stories.