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The Queen faces more heartache after her third close friend dies in a month.
The Queen faces fresh heartache after another of her long-term close friends have died – making it three people she has mourned within the space of a month.
Ivor Herbert was a racing journalist and horse trainer and was described as a long-term friend of Her Majesty before he died aged 96 on 5th January.
Ivor, who worked as a former Coldstream Guard, was sad to have been a regular visitor at the Queen’s Balmoral estate in Scotland.
And news the Queen’s third close friend dies is expected to bring sadness to the Queen as it comes just a month after her Majesty mourns the loss of Ann Fortune FitzRoy, the Duchess of Grafton, who died age 101 in December.
And there was sadness at the start of 2022 after the Monarch learned that her lady-in-waiting Lady Farnham passed away on 29th December at the age of 90.
LONDON – APRIL 25: Queen Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Diana Farnham, attends the Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey on April 25, 2005 in London, England. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lady Diana Farnham
News of Mr Herbert’s death was confirmed in The Times newspaper,
The notice simply read, ‘HERBERT Ivor died peacefully at home on the 5th of January, aged 96. Beloved father of Nick, Kate, and Jane, and grandfather to Joe. Private cremation. The details of a memorial service to follow.’
He trained Arkle – the winning horse of the 1957 Cheltenham Gold Cup – and even contributed towards writing the film The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery.
Irish thoroughbred racehorse Arkle (1957 – 1970) with Irish jockey Pat Taaffe (1930 – 1992) up, at the Cheltenham Gold Cup, UK, March 1965. The horse came in first place. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Queen regularly attended horse racing with her late husband of 73 years Prince Philip and 2021 marked a sad year for the Queen who grieved for her husband who died aged 99.
The Queen’s third close friend to die also comes at a time where the monarch has suffered some health problems, stepping away from a handful of official duties after doctors ordered her to rest.
It’s understood that Prince Charles and Camilla will take up more official royal duties from now on.
