Queen Elizabeth's private secretary, Sir William Heseltine, has died aged 96.
The Australian-born press officer, who served Her late Majesty for 27 years, was the first Australian ever appointed Private Secretary to the Sovereign.
Sir William remained in close contact with Queen Elizabeth II until her death, often sending her letters and receiving them from her.
Following his retirement in 1990, the WA-born royal servant lived in an unassuming and quiet home in a leafy suburb of Perth.
In 2022, William gushed about his former boss in an interview with The West Australian, following her death. "I think, like everybody who met the Queen, I came out of the room feeling rather uplifted.
© Tim Graham Photo Library via Get"And that, I think, applied all through the years that I was there. One never felt anything but the better for conversation with her."
Close bond with Queen Elizabeth
According to the Times, the Queen and William had an "easy relationship based on friendship and trust", and she was said to have called him "My Bill."
In a statement on Friday, Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard on Friday acknowledged Sir William as a "true son of Western Australia, who served his nation, his Sovereign and the political party of his choice with great distinction."
© Getty ImagesTalking about the highlights of William's impressive life, he added: "The pinnacle of his extensive career was surely his having been private secretary to Queen Elizabeth II from 1986 to 1990.
"Consistent with his sense of duty and integrity, he maintained an appropriate separation between his political inclinations and the advice he provided in his roles within the Palace."
As well as serving the Queen, William also served as private secretary to Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, for four years and acting official secretary for a brief period to the then Governor-General, Lord De L'Isle.
Transforming the British Monarchy
William's role left an impressive legacy, as he was known for fundamentally transforming how the British Monarchy interacted with the media and the public.
He persuaded Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to allow BBC cameras into their private life. The revolutionary documentary humanised the Monarchy and was watched by over 350 million viewers worldwide.
© Getty ImagesWilliam also invented what we know as the 'royal walkabout'. During the 1970 royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, he helped pioneer the practice of the Queen stepping away from official processions to greet members of the public directly, which has since become a staple of modern royal tours.
William was also known for replacing the royal family's precedent of being ultra-secretive when it came to the press, particularly around the fallout of the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage.
