Apart from family lunches, the midday meal is another opportunity for the Queen and Prince Philip to meet people. Ever since 1956, they have given up to four lunches a year when they do just that. The small gatherings of eight to ten specially selected guests are known as the ‘Meet the People’ palace luncheons. The guests come from all walks of life and range from jockeys to journalists, actresses to artists, to managing directors of huge corporations. Even editors of the most widely read newspapers have been known to be invited. There is nearly always one of the Queen’s favourite comedians present – the late Terry Wogan was much loved and certainly sang for his supper, though he was not expected to.

In 2015, Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton received an invitation and told BBC’s Graham Norton about how he sat next to the Queen, and how she ensured that everyone was equally involved in the occasion. ‘I was excited,’ he explained, ‘and started to talk to her but she said, pointing to my left, “No, you speak that way first and I’ll speak this way and then I’ll come back to you.” ’

He added: ‘She is a sweet woman and we talked about how she spends her weekends, her houses and music. She is really cool.’

It is not just celebrities or famous people who are lucky enough to be invited to these occasions, but often simply those who have made a contribution to their particular walk of life. In March 2016, particle physicist and TV presenter Professor Brian Cox joined the royal couple for one of the lunches. The Queen is fascinated by the solar system and is something of an expert on the stars in the night sky.

Although the lunches are informal by palace standards, they appear very formal to those invited. To stress that this is a business get-together, partners of the guests aren’t invited to the lunch. Instead, when they arrive, a footman takes them to the Bow Room on the ground floor for pre-lunch drinks, where they are greeted by the Queen’s lady-in-waiting and an equerry. The Bow Room is beautiful, painted cream and gold, but with very little furniture. People who arrive early can inspect the four display cases – one in each corner – which house some of the Queen’s priceless collection of dinner services.

Lunch itself is always held in the 1844 Room next door – the white and gold chamber where the Queen receives visiting ambassadors. On these occasions, an oblong table is wheeled into the room and set with glittering silver and crystal. Also brought in are two sideboards from which the footmen serve the meal. The palace florist does her bit, and by the time the guests, the footmen and the royal family are all assembled, the room looks less austere.