Katherine Jenkins reveals Queen Elizabeth kindly offered to help her when she struggled with ‘table manners’ at Buckingham Palace-Meghna Amin-Entertainment – Metro

Katherine recalled a sweet memory of the Queen (Picture: ITV)

Katherine Jenkins has recalled a special memory of the Queen, when the late monarch helped her with ‘table manners’ during a lunch at Buckingham Palace.

The Welsh opera singer – who was awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Year’s Honours List for her services to music and charity – was selected for the first recording of God Save The King by the BBC, from a rural church in Sussex. 

She has since recorded the new national anthem, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, aged 96, last week.

Britain’s longest-serving monarch died ‘peacefully’ at her much-loved Balmoral home on September 8 surrounded by her family, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

Appearing on This Morning today, Katherine spoke to presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about a special memory she had of the Queen.

She recalled: ‘When I was in my mid-20s I got invited to lunch at Buckingham Palace, and it was a small lunch and I was worried that, would my table manners up to Buckingham Palace standards?

The Queen died aged 96 (Picture: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

‘And sure enough, they brought round a course that I didn’t really understand, where you had to take a piece of fruit, and there was a water bowl, and some gauze, and they came to me first.’

Holly chimed in: ‘That’s quite a unique one isn’t it!’ while Phil joked: ‘All of them would have been thinking, they wouldn’t have had a clue!’

Katherine continued: ‘I was thinking, “Oh no, this is a disaster,” so I took a piece of fruit but I just held it in my hand because I didn’t really know what to do, and her majesty was sat across from me and I think one of her gifts was understanding how people were feeling, and being in tune with how people would be reacting, and she sort of sensed that.

Katherine explained to a baffled Phil and Holly what the meal actually involved (Picture: ITV)

‘In a very maternal way, sort of caught my eye and it was like a, “Follow me,” and she helped me in that situation and I was really grateful.’

Katherine added, explaining what exactly she had to do with the fruit and the gauze: ‘You had to take the fruit, wash it in the water bowl and take the gauze and dry the fruit.’

‘I assume they would just wash it before they brought it out,’ Phil joked.

Elsewhere, Katherine also spoke about recording the new national anthem.

‘It was really emotional,’ she shared, about the new recording which closed the extended World at One programme on BBC Radio 4 last Friday, with its first play being at 13:53pm.

Speaking about the recording, Katherine has previously said: ‘I have only the fondest memories singing the national anthem for Her Majesty the Queen, memories I will always cherish.

‘While my heart is heavy with grief, singing this today, for the first time is a huge honour and was sung with the belief that King Charles III’s reign will be happy and glorious!’

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Lyrics for the new national anthem include: ‘God save our gracious King, long live our noble King, God save the King.’

The anthem continues: ‘Send him victorious, happy and glorious, long to reign over us, God save the King.’

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV.

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