Samantha Cohen, a former staffer for Queen Elizabeth, revealed in an interview that the Queen enjoyed when things went wrong during royal events as it added excitement to her highly organized life. Cohen worked for the royal family from 2001 to 2019 and shared that some of the best times in her job were when the Queen toured Australia in 2002 and 2019. She served as Elizabeth’s assistant private secretary and had daily interactions with the monarch, whom she described as a special woman.
Cohen shared that the Queen and her family were often invited to celebrate Christmas at Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, and she cherished her time as the Queen’s assistant private secretary. The monarch affectionately gave her the nickname “Samantha Panther” due to her no-nonsense work attitude. Cohen also revealed that the Queen was excited to launch a YouTube channel for the royal family in 2007 and approved the idea after seeing a mock-up of the channel. The Queen’s enthusiasm for the project even inspired other institutions like The Vatican and the White House to set up their own channels.
Following the Queen’s request, Cohen transitioned to working for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 but resigned from the royal household a year later due to feeling mistreated and likening the experience to “working with teenagers.” These claims were featured in Valentine Low’s book, “Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown,” where Cohen was one of 10 people interviewed by palace officials after concerns were raised by the Sussex’s communications secretary about bullying allegations. Markle’s legal team denied the allegations of bullying.
Despite leaving the royal household, Cohen went on to serve as the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, where she created the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative that planted three million trees across the UK in honor of the Queen, who loved nature and trees. In 2022, she briefly worked under Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the COVID scandal known as “partygate.” Cohen reflected on attending the Queen’s funeral at St George’s Chapel, noting that Windsor was her favorite place, and she passed away and was laid to rest there alongside her husband and other family members.
Overall, Samantha Cohen’s experiences working closely with Queen Elizabeth shed light on the monarch’s personality and work ethic. Despite facing challenges within the royal household, Cohen continued to make a difference in various roles after leaving her position as the Queen’s assistant private secretary. Her insights offer a unique perspective on the inner workings of the royal family, showcasing both the Queen’s enthusiasm for adapting to modern technology like YouTube and her love for nature and environmental initiatives like the Queen’s Green Canopy.
