Sir Peter Cosgrove’s memories of a family picnic with the Queen at Balmoral

Sir Peter Cosgrove saw a side of Queen Elizabeth the public don’t get to see during a picnic at Balmoral complete with the corgis and 11 other royals.

The Queen playing ‘mum’ at an intimate family picnic at Balmoral, with 11 senior royals and four corgis, is former Governor-general Sir Peter Cosgrove’s last cherished memory of the late monarch.

The war hero said he had just stepped down from his role as the Queen’s Australian representative and as tradition goes he was invited to meet her one last time in 2019.

As it happened he and his wife Lady Lynne were asked to Balmoral, the beloved estate where the Queen died last Thursday.

Sir Peter said he couldn’t believe that after the meeting he was invited to a “deadset family picnic” in the gillies on the estate.

“I rode shotgun with the Queen, Lynne was in the back seat with the lady in-waiting,” he said.

Queen Elizabeth II speaks with General Sir Peter Cosgrove, the Governor-General of Australia during a private audience in the Drawing Room at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 21, 2017. Picture: AFP.

“The corgis and doggies were on the track.”

He said when he got there, 11 other royals had already arrived and the Queen “acted as the mother” handing out food from little containers.

Last week former British Prime Minister Theresa May told how she suffered a picnic mishap with the Queen when the cheese she was taking to the picnic table, slipped off the plate and onto the floor.

The Queen loved a picnic. Baby Prince Andrew perches on Prince Philip's lap during a picnic on the grounds of Balmoral Castle. Also pictured are Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Anne.

In a split second decision she picked it up and put it back on the plate, only to meet the Queen’s eyes who had been watching the whole thing.

“I looked at her, she looked at me and she just smiled, and the cheese just remained on the plate,” Ms May said.

Sir Peter said he enjoyed the Queen’s sense of humour and said she had an “elephantine” recall.

As he left Balmoral Sir Peter said he knew in that moment that would be the last time he ever saw her.

AUSSIE ROYALS IN DASH TO UK

Aussies wanting to travel to the UK to be part of the official mourning period for Queen Elizabeth are paying as much as $6000 for economy fares, and flying in to European cities as flights to the British capital book out.

Seats on Qantas flights to London were almost booked out for the current period even before the Queen’s passing, with the few remaining seats quickly snapped up after the news of her death broke.

Christy Longford from the Gold Coast happened to be in London on holidays with her partner, Mark, when the Queen died. Alongside thousands of others they went to St James’s Palace for the historic proclamation of the new king.

“It is a really special time. This is a part of our history so we wanted to be here today for the special occasion,” Ms Longford said, echoing the sentiments of other Australians in the British capital who spoke to News Corp.

Christy and Mark Longford wait to get into St James’s Palace for the King’s proclamation. Picture: Ella Pellegrini.

Flight Centre spokesperson Haydn Long said there had not been a “massive influx” in the number of Aussies suddenly wanting to travel to London, but those who had inquired were “struggling to find affordable seats”.

“Currently, we have return fares for between $5000 and $6000, but we expect they will also sell fairly quickly – given the heightened current interest on top of normal demand,” Mr Long said.

Many were looking at flying to European destinations and then transferring to London.

“It may well be cheaper that way, given the frequency of Europe-UK flights,” he said.

Travel agency ATPI’s commercial director Peter Hosper said capacity was already limited because airlines were flying fewer and/or smaller aeroplanes out of Australia, but there were people “putting their hand in their pocket” to ensure they could be part of the moment when Britain, and the world, bids a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth.

The last remaining seats on Qantas flights were snapped up quickly after the Queen died. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper.

“We started getting inquiries on Monday, starting with the media – people who really need to be there to be part of this historic moment,” Mr Hosper said.

Travel agents were also proving their worth by finding flight connections when websites offered none, he said.

“The travel agency community are great problem solvers,” Mr Hosper said.

Once in London, visitors face queues, crowds, delays and even the possibility of danger, with the former Met Police chief superintendent Parm Sandhu telling the BBC this week that crowds and even the funeral itself could be a target for terrorists.

“London could potentially be full. We are expecting to have people queuing for 12, 15 hours at a time just to file past the coffin, which is a real concern because crowds attract criminals,” she told Radio 4’s World At One program.

People queue along the Thames Embankment to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state at Westminster Hall. Picture: Getty Images.

The federal government’s Smart Traveller website has also warned Australians going to the UK to be prepared for “substantial disruptions to services across the UK,” as well as large crowds and difficulty finding accommodation in London.

“It’s an absolute certainty that security will be very, very tight,” Mr Hosper said. “Operation London Bridge has been in the planning for many years, but I really don’t think it’s going to deter people from going. People want to be part of history, so they’ll put up with it.”

Hotel rooms in London have not completely sold out, but people wanting to stay in the capital will be paying a premium.

For a room in a good standard, four-star hotel with breakfast, visitors could expect to pay £500-600 ($A850-$A1025) per night over the mourning period, Mr Hosper said.