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John Sinclair owns HM Sheridan butchers, which holds the royal warrant to supply the royal residence at Balmoral Castle as well as Birkhall, the neighbouring estate owned by King Charles III. He said that the Queen usually ordered lamb for her big family gatherings and that he made special sausages for the monarch’s summer barbecues.
Mr Sinclair admitted he was “nervous” when he first met the Queen at a garden party at Balmoral but her good humour soon put him at ease.
He said: “I looked down on this small woman who had such good banter.
“She was quite cheeky as well.
“She had already met Barry Florence, my business partner, and she said to me ‘I believe you are the other half of the partnership’.
“She had a little smile on her face.
“She still had that humour when I last met her three weeks ago, in my capacity as chairman of the Ballater Highland Games.
“She was on really good form that day.”
Mr Sinclair’s shop is in Ballater, the local village that knew the Queen the best.
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It was there that her coffin started the long journey from Scotland to London on Sunday morning.
The village is inextricably linked with royalty with The Albert Hall opposite the train station built in 1874 in memory of Queen Victoria’s husband.
Victoria herself opened the village bridge in 1885.
Generations of royals have been considered “more than monarchs” by locals who saw them as neighbours and friends.
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Since she was a child, the Queen had “lifted the village” by walking around and chatting to locals.
The Rev David Barr said the village had “lost his mother” due to the close bond the villagers have with the royals and each other.
He said: “It’s like your mum has passed away, it’s that sort of grief.
“In this village everyone knows each other.
“Everyone cares about each other.”
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