The Queen left 'deeply upset' by death of close royal housekeeper

The Queen is said to be left 'deeply upset' after the sudden death of one of her most loyal aides.

Royal reporter Rebecca English for the Daily Mail has said that Annette Wilkin, who served as housekeeper at Windsor Castle for four decades, passed away age 72 recently following a short illness.

It's also been said that the Queen will 'break royal protocol' to attend Annette's funeral. Ordinarly, the monarch only attends funerals of close friends and family members, but it's reported that she is keen to honour her late housekeeper by attending her funeral.

Annette was in charge of all housekeeping at Windsor Castle and Frogmore House, where Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan had their wedding reception last year. Frogmore House is just minutes away from Harry and Meghan's new home, Frogmore Cottage.

She took care of all cleaning, changing of bed linen, and was the one in charge of the rest of the maids within the royal buildings.

The Queen's housekeeper started work with the royal family over 45 years ago, as a teenager, meaning she's been with the monarch for a long time.

Annette was said to be so loved by the family that she was even given one of the royal corgis by the monarch.

She once even spoke on a documentary about her duties for the royals, describing the Queen as a "very good boss".

Of her role at Windsor Castle, she said, ‘I think first and foremost it’s a home, and whose home – that’s the most important to all of us, the Queen.

MORE:Inside Sandringham House, the Queen’s stunning Norfolk home

"It’s a bit like looking after your own home, but on this massive, massive scale. We have a very good boss, who will see everything. Nothing gets missed."

A source speaking to Rebecca English for the Daily Mail also revealed how treasured Miss Wilkin was, saying, "The Queen and all the royals absolutely adored her and she was almost part of the family."

Metro.co.uk reports that Annette retired as housekeeper in 2014, but later took up another position for the Queen as assistant dresser.