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A retired police officer has recalled the moment the Queen gave him a glass of sherry as he guarded her in the rain one New Year's Eve.

Chris Clark, from Crook, County Durham, was on duty during a downpour at Sandringham on New Year's Eve 1976.

At midnight, Her Majesty came outside with her corgis, spotted him and stopped to talk to him and hand him a reassuring tipple.

"It's a moment I will treasure for ever," he said.

He was one of four officers on duty outside the house's main doors on a "foul night of cold non-stop torrential rain" which had "soaked through to my shirt and boxers" , Mr Clark said.

He said he tried to "melt into the darkness" when the Queen, who "looked stunning" and was "dressed like a million dollars", came outside with her dogs.

But she spotted him and called him over to stand under the shelter where she was, shouting at him: "Don't stand out there getting wet, officer."

He followed her orders and she then gave him a glass of sherry and wished him a happy new year before asking him a series of questions about himself.

"I felt completely at ease in her presence," said Mr Clark, who now writes true crime books investigating serial killers.

He added: "It shows the ability of the lady to be able to talk with anyone at the same level."

After a few minutes she wished him goodnight and told him to "try and keep dry", but moments later the doors opened and the "rest of 'The Family' came out to greet me," Mr Clark said.

He said: "The then-Prince Charles spoke to me about where I was from and asked 'Have you got your waterproof underwear on?', and Prince Andrew said to me 'How do you like working in this God forsaken place?'.

"We all stood there like I was part of their social gathering and they seemed interested in this mere mortal asking all sorts of questions."

Mr Clark said he felt "proud and honoured" to serve the Queen and share those special moments with her and her family.

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