This Article is From Jan 14, 2013

UK Queen's car fails to start after church service

UK Queen's car fails to start after church service
London: It can happen to just about anyone! Queen Elizabeth II was left waiting as her 10 million pound luxury Bentley failed to start after a church service, but the monarch made light of the situation and remained unfazed.

Standing nearby, the Queen was seen laughing and pointing as her chauffeur tried to coax the motor into action outside St Mary Magdalene church on the Norfolk estate.

The 86-year-old Queen evidently saw the funny side when her state Bentley, said to be worth 10 million pounds, refused to come to life after the church service at Sandringham yesterday, The Telegraph reported.

The car's V8 6.75 litre engine finally spluttered into life at the seventh attempt and the Queen, wearing a checked black and white coat with a white hat decorated with black bows, climbed in for the quarter-of-a-mile drive back to Sandringham House.

The Duke of Edinburgh walked to and from the church as normal, despite the freezing weather.

Guests at the 55-minute morning church service included Lady Helen Taylor, 48, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

A crowd of around 150 well-wishers looked on as the Queen waited for her car to start afterwards.

Veteran royal watcher Mary Relph, 77, of Shouldham, Norfolk, who was at the church, said: "I have never known anything like this happen before. The car wouldn't start for quite a while. It did eventually and when it did, the Queen said, 'Don't stop it, don't stop it'".

"I think she must have been worried that it might conk out again. She was laughing about it," Relph said. The car is one of two purpose-built Bentley state limousines owned by the Queen. They are the only two ever made.

The driver of the Bentley was the Queen's head chauffeur Joe Last, 65, who has worked for her since 1986.

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