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The day Her Majesty taught Hamilton about table manners

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Appearing on the latest episode of the Graham Norton show which aired last night, Lewis Hamilton recounted a Royal anecdote and the day he was a little too fast off the mark when it came to conversation and protocol.

A while after collecting his MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2009, Lewis Hamilton was invited back along with several other personalities to a luncheon with Her Majesty. Sitting next to the Queen at the event, Ham jumped straight into a conversation with her which prompted Her Majesty to instill the Formula 1 champion with a lesson in table manners.

"I was excited and started to talk to her," Hamilton remembered. "But she said, pointing to my left, “no, you speak that way first and I’ll speak this way and then I’ll come back to you”.

The discrete etiquette reprimand only enforced Hamilton's affection for Queen Elisabeth II and the 'cool factor' she embodies in his view.

"She is a sweet woman and we talked about how she spends her weekends, houses and music. She is really cool."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.