Lewis Hamilton has revealed he and the late Queen Elizabeth II spoke about their "shared love of dogs" during their numerous meetings. The Queen died on Thursday after reigning in the United Kingdom since February 6th 1952, and was the longest-reigning Monarch in English or British history. She has been succeeded by her son and heir, King Charles III. Hamilton met The Queen on multiple occasions, including in 2009 when she awarded him an MBE at Buckingham Palace after winning the 2008 World Championship.
Writing on Instagram in tribute to the late Monarch, Hamilton described the Queen as "iconic" and a "reassuring presence" in the lives of the British people. "I had the incredible honour of being to spend time with her, it is something I will never forget," he said on Instagram. "We talked about our shared love of dogs and she was incredibly generous with her time. "She was truly like no other and I'm grateful to have lived her time." The Queen was renowned for her corgis, having been gifted one by her father, King George VI as a child. Hamilton's own dogs Roscoe and Coco were familiar sights in the F1 paddock, before Coco died in 2020. In 2021, days after losing the world title to Max Verstappen, Hamilton was formally knighted by the then-Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle as he took over more duties from his ailing mother.
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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton)
Russell and Norris add tributes
F1 held a minute's silence in the pitlane before the start of FP1 at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix - which goes ahead this weekend as planned. A further silence will be held on Sunday before the start of the race. Hamilton is one of three British drivers on the 2022 grid with Mercedes teammate George Russell and McLaren's Lando Norris also flying the Union Jack. Russell praised the Queen's "gracious leadership and devotion to our country", while Norris retweeted McLaren's tribute.
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