Queen Elizabeth II doesn't mind doing the dishes – so long as she gets to wash, and someone else does the drying.

The Queen's former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter, says she's a "very realistic person" who engages with people "from all walks of life," and who isn't above picking up a sponge to wash her own dirty plates.

"She does things that you and I do," Arbiter told CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday, the same day the Queen became the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Arbiter has known the Queen for years and has covered her for decades, first as a journalist, then as the Royal Press Secretary, and now as a commentator on the Royal Family. He has many stories from his time working with the Queen, but one of his favourites to tell is the time the Queen helped him wash the dishes.

Arbiter was still the Royal Press Secretary at the time, and he was eating lunch at Balmoral Castle with the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen's lady-in-waiting. After they'd finished their meal, the Queen told everyone to "clear up," so Arbiter took the plates to the kitchen to wash them. He says he heard someone approaching behind him, so he said over his shoulder: "I'll wash, you dry."

He says there was a pause, and a few moments later, the Queen said: "No, I'll wash, you dry."

He suggests that down-to-earth attitude has been one of the lasting characteristics of Queen Elizabeth II's long reign, which surpassed Queen Victoria's tenure on Wednesday with a record duration of 63 years and 216 days. "She doesn't like fuss," Arbiter said of Queen Elizabeth, adding that her record-breaking day is scheduled to be "low-key for that very reason."

Arbiter says the Queen is a stoic person, a hard worker and "a country woman at heart," who loves spending time with dogs and horses. He says she also likes people, despite some critics who suggest otherwise. "She engages with people from all walks of life, whether it's the cleaning lady in a school or the industrialist at a multi-national," he said.

Dickie Arbiter's daughter, Victoria Arbiter, says the Queen is a "unifying presence" that spans generations and offers people a sense of continuity. "The Queen is there at times of national celebration and national tragedy," Arbiter told Canada AM. "She's a comforting presence. She's just always there."

The younger Arbiter, who is a royal commentator like her father, says most British citizens don't remember any other monarch but Queen Elizabeth. "People find comfort in her continuity and stability," she said. She also suggested the Queen has maintained her popularity because she is "from an era when you work," and she is very dedicated to her job. "She just never complains, she just shows up," Victoria Arbiter said.

The Queen continues to travel and make numerous public appearances at the age of 89, and shows no sign of slowing down. She continued her hard work on Wednesday with a public appearance to open a new train line.

"Inevitably, a long life can pass many milestones," she said at the ceremony. "My own is no exception, but I thank you all, and the many others at home and overseas, for your touching messages of great kindness."

 

A reflective moment as The Queen watches the crowds at Galashiels Station from a steam train.Today Her Majesty opened the Borders Railway in Scotland on the day she becomes Britain's longest reigning monarch.

Posted by The British Monarchy on Wednesday, September 9, 2015