Queen Elizabeth II: The man who updated the monarch's public image

Ronald Allison advised the Queen on media matters during the 1970s

The recently widowed wife of the Queen's former press secretary has described receiving a personal note of condolence from the monarch shortly before her death.

Journalist and author Ronald Allison, who died aged 90 in July, worked for the Queen between 1973 and 1978.

His wife Jennifer Allison said her husband, from Winchester, had helped to update the Royal Family's public image.

She said receiving the Queen's letter had helped with her own grieving.

Mr Allison spent much of his career working in television and the media

The Queen wrote: "I was so very sorry to learn of Ron's death. I greatly valued his service to me and members of my family whilst he was press secretary and send you and members of his family my heartfelt condolences in your great loss."

Mrs Allison said her husband thought the Queen was "the most amazing woman".

"To then be able to work so closely with her for so long was the highlight of his career," she added.

BBC correspondent Mr Allison was appointed to his role at a time when the Royal Family was widely viewed as being old fashioned and increasingly out of touch.

He handled the first wedding of Princess Anne, the Silver Jubilee and constant speculation over the future King Charles III's choice of bride.

Jennifer Allison said she was touched by a recent personal letter of condolence from the Queen

In his later career, which saw him write a series of books on the Queen and the royals, he described how he wanted to make the family more accessible.

He added, however, that it was important for them to retain a "balance between informality yet maintaining their dignity".

Mrs Allison said her husband used to talk about "pulling the curtain back just ever so slightly to allow people to see what life was like for them".

This resulted in the public seeing more of the Queen's personality in images released in the media, a trend which continued after the press secretary left his role.

The Queen was grateful for Mr Allison's work, staying in touch with him up until his death.

Mrs Allison met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh alongside her husband

• Obituary: A long life marked by a sense of duty

• Queen Elizabeth II: A life in pictures

• This is the moment history stops

• King Charles III, the new monarch