The Take That singer paid tribute to the late monarch, revealing the pair struck up a warm friendship during more than 30 meetings. 6 The Queen with Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd WebberCredit: Planet Photos 6 Her Majesty was a fan of the singer – Gary is pictured receiving the OBECredit: PA:Press Association 6 The Queen cradles Gary Barlow as she attends the final night of her 90th birthday celebrations in Windsor in 2016Credit: Getty He has told how he even performed a private concert at an intimate birthday party for Her Majesty in 2012. The Queen was such a fan of Gary’s that it turns out she even knew the words to his Commonwealth song Sing from the same year. The star says: “Her Majesty has done such a wonderful job and has been a wonderful example to us all. “She ruled with her heart, she was amazing. “She had such a recognizable face because obviously her face is everywhere you look, so when you saw her, it was magical. I counted all the times I met her and it must have been over 30. I felt so, so sad when I heard of her death. “I knew Sing was one of her favorite songs. “Ellie Goulding told me she was in a lineup and asked Queen if she liked singing and she sang a line from Sing. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s great!’ It was great. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear her sing.” Royal biographer Penny Junor revealed that the Queen’s favorite songs were Sing. She also enjoyed Dame Vera Lynn’s The White Cliffs of Dover and American film and dance legend Fred Astaire singing Cheek To Cheek. Gary, 51, co-wrote Sing with impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee. Within hours of his performance, along with the female choir Military Wives, he reached the top of the charts. Today, the lyrics — which include “Some words can’t be said, only sung/To hear a thousand voices cry love/And light and hope” — couldn’t be more rousing. Gary first met the Queen in 1993, at the Royal Variety Performance. Joined by bandmates Robbie Williams, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange — and their parents — he nervously shook her hand. Take That later performed Could It Be Magic, prompting a bewitching smile from the monarch. Gary, who has sold more than 50 million records, later followed up with a series of one-on-one meetings with Her Majesty in the two years leading up to the Diamond Jubilee. He says each summit was scheduled to last exactly four minutes. But he jokes that he would try to cut it to save the Queen time from her relentless schedule. She recalls: “She was so good at putting everyone at ease, she never let anyone feel intimidated. “There were a lot of things we were told we could and couldn’t do. We were scared to death before we met her. “But he broke all the rules in about two seconds, shook our hands, talked to us, didn’t correct anybody. “Only the title of queen was intimidating, and the people around her were not. If he wasn’t like that, able to converse with people from all walks of life, someone like me would never have been able to put on the gig. I am so thankful for that. “My meetings with the Queen were always four minutes, which always amused me. I would start by saying, “I think I can be in and out in a minute and a half.” “He could make decisions quickly — it was ‘Yes, yes, yes, no, yes’ — he made it easy for me. We asked six questions and then I was like, “Right, that’s it. from me. I won’t take any more of your time’… and I’d be out of there.’ I kept telling her, “If there’s anyone or anything you want, anything, you know you just have to ask.” And he always said, “No, no — just make the best show for the world. Gary Barlow The Queen has served the nation and the Commonwealth selflessly and tirelessly for 70 years. In an anecdote that typifies this, Gary says she wanted her Jubilee concert to be a celebration of the world – not her. He adds: “I kept telling her, ‘If there’s anyone or anything you want, anything, you know you just have to ask.’ And he always said, “No, no — just make the best show for the world.” “It’s amazing, she was celebrating her anniversary but she just wanted everyone else to have a good time.” Gary, who was awarded an OBE ten years ago for services to music, is very fond of the royal family. Photos from that day are scattered around his home in West London. And he says his mum was particularly proud after accompanying him to Buckingham Palace for his investiture. “There’s a framed picture from that day in my study,” Gary says with a smile. “There are actually pictures all over the house of that day, but I always think those days are more about mums and dads. She was so good at reassuring everyone, she never let anyone feel afraid. Gary Barlow “After the Diamond Jubilee, the Queen thanked me. I got a little telegram from her afterwards which was amazing. This is also framed.” Because of his unlikely bond with the Queen, the Brit Award winner and former X Factor judge shed a tear when he heard of her death. Gary admitted: “I teared up a bit . . . I felt very, very strange.” One of his most incredible encounters with Elizabeth II was when he attended a very low-key, impromptu – and off-the-record – gathering for her 86th birthday in 2012. The celebration took place at Lord Lloyd Webber’s home in Newbury, Berks, where the horse-loving monarch once kept stables. They played her Sing, as well as musical shows from Rodgers and Hammerstein. Gary, who was also at her 90th birthday bash in Windsor in 2016, explains of the bash: “There was one night around her birthday, we did a little impromptu gig for her. “Her stables were very close to Andrew’s house so she had about 12 other people with her. I had taken many of the plans (Jubilee) with me and spent about 20 minutes looking at all the plans. “He was really interested. I had prepared every possible answer, but of course he asked me the one question I didn’t know the answer to, which was how long it would take to get all the equipment down (stands, mounts, etc.). Only the queen’s title was intimidating, and the people around her were not. If he wasn’t like that, able to converse with people from all walks of life, someone like me would never have been able to put on the gig. I am so thankful for that. Gary Barlow “So I made it up and said six hours. I had no idea. “That night I remember her talking a lot about horses. “Those little moments when there are no cameras – no pictures at all from that night – where everyone was chatting, are so, so special. “She was a truly wonderful woman.” 6 Gary said: “Just the title of the Queen was intimidating and the people around her weren’t” Credit: Alamy 6 Gary said: ‘She was so good at putting everyone at ease, she never let anyone feel intimidated’ Credit: Rex 6 The Queen and Gary work on her diamond jubilee concertCredit: Planet Photos
