AS president of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, Will Burdett had a task which gave him a special place in the Queen Mother's heart.
The pensioner, from Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was the keeper of the Queen Mother's buff Orpington hens for 25 years.
Yesterday he paid tribute to her "remarkable zest for life."
The club approached the Queen Mother to become patron as it celebrated its centenary.
"We got the Queen Mother interested in receiving a trio of buff Orpingtons at Sandringham in the summer of 1977 and that renewed her interest in the breed, which she used to have in her childhood," said Mr Burdett.
Over 25 years, Mr Burdett sent the Queen Mother's favourite hens to agricultural shows across the country, particularly gatherings like the Great Yorkshire Show where there were often members of the Royal Family attending.
He said: "She was just such a special person. In her later life, you wondered why a dear old lady would still be bothered about hens but she remained just as interested as ever."
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