Queen Elizabeth a calming but humorous presence, former bodyguard recalls

For 16 years from 1992 Feilding man Patrick Nolan was one of the Queen’s bodyguards – the traditional kind, living in the Tower of London.

He was the first non-British serviceman to hold the post of yeoman warder, colloquially known as a beefeater.

The walls of the Feilding home he shares with wife Dawn are festooned with memories from London and this morning the New Zealand flag on his front lawn was lowered to half-mast in mourning for the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Nolan said the best memories he and his wife held were of people, including the Queen.

“Meeting the Queen was a privilege. We were her bodyguards, as yeoman warders.

“I met her innumerable times. We were a bit privileged so we did a couple more garden parties than the average person did.

“We did one to celebrate her golden jubilee, where all of her bodyguards were in the palace. It was a cracking day. All the royals were there.”

The Queen was a calming presence, albeit with a wicked sense of humour, Nolan said.

He would give advice to nervous subjects before a meeting, telling them to pretend they were speaking to their nan.

Patrick Nolan lowered the flag on the front lawn of his Feilding home to half-mast today.
Photo: RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham

“There was an aura around her. She was dignified,” he said.

“When she spoke to you she was interested. She totally zoomed in on you and then she would talk, ask a question or two maybe, and then move on.

“It wasn’t like she’d turned you off – it was just time to move on, and she did it so very very well.”

Yeoman warders also act as tour guides for visitors to the tower, which they have guarded since Tudor times.

More than 45 million tourists passed through during Nolan’s years in London.

And it’s a fair bet many of them would be, like him, in mourning.

“[I feel] down in the dumps… but we don’t live forever. I’m 70-something and I’ve had my three score and 10. It’s sad.”

Yeoman warders rub shoulders with all royals, so Nolan has has seen much of King Charles III.

“He’s going to be a bloody good king.

“He started doing things before anybody else did. Remember, he was the chap who talked to the plants. He talked to the trees and everybody said ‘what a silly old thing he is’. But he started, or he was part of, the very beginning of recycling, of making things better, just looking after the planet.”

Becoming a yeoman warder was no easy task.

“We must have done a minimum of 22 years in Her Majesty’s army, the air force or the Royal Marines. We are expected to be married.

“We must be in possession of our long-service and good-conduct medal. We must maintain a dwelling within the walls of the Tower of London.

“We do pay rent, council tax, gas, water, electric and such.”

A small cost for living among royalty.

Nolan retired as a yeoman warder in 2008.

Tell us your Queen memories:

Have you done a special tribute to the Queen today? Do you have memories of meeting her? Send us your photos and your stories at iwitness@rnz.co.nz for compilation into a future story.