David Starkey compares Queen Elizabeth to a housewife

Dr David Starkey concludes his epic series on the British monarchy on Channel 4 on Boxing Day, 26th December, with a 90 minute episode on the Windsors.

King George V changed the designation of the royal house from Saxe-Coburg to Windsor during the first world war. He had become king in 1910 following the death of his father, Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria. The House of Windsor has continued with Edward VII, who abdicated in 1936, George VI, his younger brother, and Queen Elizabeth.

In Dr Starkey's concluding episode on Monarchy, he is said to wear his jacket like a suit of armour, looking formidably severe. His theme is how the Windsors evolved through the twentieth century. He shapes it as a tale of how a duty-bred "family monarchy" embraced change, detaching itself from the peerage, courting Labour governments, manipulating television and even holding a royal marriage in a register office.

In 2003, David Starkey was asked to curate an exhibition on Queen Elizabeth I at the National Maritime Museum. After it was hung, he had lunch with Queen Elizabeth.

After lunch, David Starkey began walking her round the exhibition. "She didn't stop until she came to the portrait of Elizabeth that appears on the cover of my Elizabeth book - and then it was 'Philip!' Clop clop clop clop. 'Isn't this mine?' Which indeed it is.

"And that was basically her response. She knew her own possessions. She was like a housewife who'd been left them. She's looked after them, she's put in place much better arrangements for their care, but again - I suppose it's this absence of any kind of - to be blunt - serious education."

Dr Starkey also claimed that Queen Elizabeth was more interested in her gin and Dubonnet than the art when he showed her round.

In October, David Starkey had been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive his CBE from Queen Elizabeth.

She had asked him: "Are you doing any more programmes?"

Dr Starkey told her: "Yes Ma'am. On you," referring to the programme on the Windsors.

The Queen then gave him a blank look before being reassured his comments about her would be "quite complimentary".

Well - the historian's comments have proved to be not all that complimentary after all. Orf with his head, Ma'am?