Christopher Bray, one of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s close friends and long-time employees, has died in “recent weeks”, reports have claimed. He is believed to have been in his late seventies.
Two gun dogs named after him
According to Hello! magazine, the late Queen was so fond of Christopher that she had two gun dogs named Christopher and Bray after him. The late monarch was known to form close bonds with members of her staff, including her former dresser, Angela Kelly, who she called her “sister”.
Christopher reportedly joined the Royal Household at the age of 16, straight after school. He worked for the late Queen his whole life, starting as a footman and walking Elizabeth’s beloved corgis before being promoted to a Page. He reportedly worked alongside ‘Tall Paul’ Whybre, taking turns with him to serve Elizabeth “breakfast, lunch and dinner, take her messages and the daily post and newspapers, and be on hand for anything she needed”.
A special sense of humour
According to the magazine, the late Queen and her employee shared a special sense of humour. A source claimed the monarch would “wink” at him every time she returned home from a royal engagement.
They said: “It was a lovely gesture and just their little joke.
“The Queen would come home from a very formal event like the State Opening of Parliament or a church service, and Chris would be waiting for her at the Palace or Windsor Castle.
“She always used to wink at him as if to say, ‘I’m home’, and she could relax. The contrast between her formal life and how she was in private was only really known by her family and her staff.”
