Fresh heartache for the Queen as she mourns the death of a close family friend

The Queen
(Image credit: Getty)

Heartache for the Queen as she mourns the death of a close family friend

The Queen is mourning the death of a close family friend who has died at the age of 91.

Her Majesty is residing at Balmoral, where she is spending her summer break, having recently been visited by Boris Johnson.

But it's reported that she has received some sad news as according to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, Sir Timothy Colman, a British businessman and a Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, has passed away.

It's understood that Sir Timothy was a frequent guest at Sandringham with his late wife, Lady Mary Colman (née Bowes-Lyon), who was a first cousin of the Queen.

Sir Timothy Colman

Lady Mary Colman died back in January this year.

The Queen has suffered an unfortunate amount of loss in both 2020 and the start of this year, with the death of Lady Mary, the passing of her beloved pet dog Vulcan and her five of her pet ponies as well as the death of her other Dorgi and her husband Prince Philip, who died aged 99.

Sir Colman is a member of the Colman mustard family, and he married Lady Mary back in 1951 in London, and together they had five children.

The couple resided at their family home, Bixley Manor, in Norfolk.

Lady Mary Colman and the Queen

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sir Colman joined the Royal Navy and later served as a second lieutenant on HMS Frobisher and Indefatigable, before commencing a business career.

He was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1996.

The Queen is expected to remain in Scotland until the 2nd of October when she will be joined by Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla for the Opening Ceremony to mark the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament on 2 October.

And that's just the start of a busy schedule, as the Queen will be joined by her youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, to launch The Queen's Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace on 7th of October.

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On the 12th of October, she will be joined by her daughter, Princess Royal, at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion.

Her Majesty will also host a reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit on the 19th of October.

And in November, she will return to Scotland to attend a reception for the COP-26 Summit.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)