Queen Elizabeth II: Mum 'offered tea' during visit to Bletchley

Colin Spence said the Queen asked him what he was studying at school and what he wanted to be

A man has said the Queen was "absolutely charming" when she visited his home in 1966.

Colin Spence, 72, met Elizabeth II, when he was a 16-year-old, in Bletchley in Buckinghamshire.

He said the house was kept "pristine" and his mother, Fay Spence, offered her tea and "got the best China out".

He said the Queen had been "a fantastic servant. She was a lovely charming lady to us, our family are very sad about what's happened".

Colin's family were not allowed to take photos of the event, which featured in the local press

The family was chosen by the council to meet the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh on 4 April 1966, as the royal couple were visiting Bletchley a year before the new town development of Milton Keynes was granted approval for development.

The Spences had moved from London, and Bletchley would soon become part of the wider Milton Keynes urban area.

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Their home was also close to a where a stage could be erected for local dignitaries to meet the royal couple, he added.

"She turned up at about 3.30 and we were told she would only be there for 10 minutes, and that's exactly how it panned out," said Mr Spence.

"She came in and my brother [Neil] and I were in the lounge, my parents [Bill and Fay] were in the dining room and kitchen and councillor Cassidy, who was the chief of the council at the time, introduced us and the Queen asked us some nice questions.

"Then they passed through the dining room, had a good look around and my mum then said 'we've got tea for you, would you like to stay for tea' and they said 'oh no, we would not be able to do that'."

The Bletchley District Gazette's headline on 11 March 1966, a month before the royal visit, was "A 'Castles' welcome for the Queen"

The Duke of Edinburgh even looked in their fridge, which Mr Spence said only contained some "used old baked beans and a few eggs and a bit of milk".

He said that Prince Philip has asked his parents "so you like a fry-up? I really like that myself actually".

The family only had three weeks' notice to get the house ready and they "tided it and kept it as clean as possible" and it was "pristine", Mr Spence said.

Of the Queen, he said "she was absolutely charming".

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