A former gardener for the Queen has said the Her Majesty was a dedicated lady who cared deeply for everyone around her.

Stuart Bourne from Rainham worked on the grounds at Buckingham Palace from 2012 up until 2019.

The 42-year-old said: "She was a really kind, caring lady. Even though she was the Monarch and above us, she was concerned about what was going on with everybody's lives.

"She had a deep love for all her people and all the people who worked for her, beyond the institution. She was a really nice, beautiful, sweet old lady.

The father-of-two reflected on Her Majesty's passing, he said: "It's one of those things that you expected to happen but when it does, you're just as shocked as if you never knew it was coming along.

"She was very avid and into her garden, she would like to know what was going on there.

"She would always ask us questions about what we were doing or if we weren't doing anything.

"We had a long discussion once about aphids on the the road I used to look after, making sure I got rid of them.

"She liked traditional English flowers."

He added: "She was keen about what everyone was doing, she cared about everyone in the household.

"She was hard-working, from what I could see she was always on the go, doing service, doing her duty and meeting people.

"It's almost like she never sat still, she was always dedicated, she did long days, from what I could see, she would never stop."

Describing what it was like to work for the Royal household, Stuart said: "It was an amazing experience because you feel like you're part of something that's greater than yourself.

"You felt like you were part of an institution that was dedicated to helping the country.

"Even though I was a small cog in a big machine, you felt important, being around the Royal Family and their work just made everything you did just that bit more special.

"Anyone can mow a lawn, but doing it at Buckingham Palace just makes you push yourself to do it as best as you can."