The Queen was extremely close with Nelson Mandela during with both of them often referring to the other as “a friend”. Their relationship was so tight that, even two years after stepping down from his presidency, Mandela visited London, and was treated to a coach ride with the Queen. He arrived on July 9, 1998, for a four-day visit, and on the fourth day he concluded his trip by accompanying Her Majesty on a coach drive through the busy streets of London.

The South African leader had stayed at Buckingham Palace as an honoured guest of the Queen and addressed a joint meeting of Parliament at Westminster Hall. 

In a BBC documentary, Mandela repeatedly referred to Her Majesty as “my friend, Elizabeth”.

Labour Peter Hain, well known for a lifetime of anti-Apartheid campaigning, recalled another sweet moment between the South African political leader and the monarch. 

He said: “On his 90th birthday, he was phoned by Her Majesty the Queen.

“They were very close. 

“He was handed the phone and said ‘Hello Elizabeth, how is the Duke?’

“Afterwards his wife reprimanded him. She said ‘you cannot refer to Her Majesty like this!’ 

“He replied: ‘But she calls me Nelson!'”

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Lord Hain’s comments came at an event organised by the London Grill Club and attended by Express.co.uk on Tuesday.

Zelda la Grange, a personal assistant to Mandela, also described their extraordinary bond in her memoirs, ‘Good Morning, Mr Mandela’.

She wrote: “On a visit to Britain, I was struck by the warm friendship between Madiba and the Queen.

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“‘Oh Elizabeth,’ he would say when he greeted her, and she would respond: ‘Hello, Nelson.’

“I think he was one of the very few people who called her by her first name and she seemed to be amused by it.”

On another occasion, Mr Mandela reportedly said: “Oh, Elizabeth, you’ve lost weight.”

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