HELPING CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S 77TH BIRTHDAY GYLES BRANDRETH

ON THEIR SHARED PASSION FOR LITERATURE AND PASSING IT ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION

- ROSALIND POWELL

There were a few concerns, Gyles Brandreth admits, when he was invited to preside over the spectacular 21-gun salute at Edinburgh Castle in honour of the Queen's 77th birthday.

"Although I come from an army family, my wife Michèle was anxious," the 76-year-old author, awardwinning podcaster, TV presenter and friend of Her Majesty exclusively tells HELLO!. "She said: 'Oh God, you're going to be very near the guns, Gyles? The reason you're not in the army is because you'll pop a champagne cork and flinch."

"But the good news is, I did not duck. I stood firm," he adds proudly.

He did, however, feel upstaged by members of the 12th Royal Artillery regiment taking part.

"I was standing on the podium and just behind me was the governor of the castle and he was wearing a bicorne hat with plumes, as well as his sword and spurs. And there was I in my M&S suit, not feeling quite the business." "She is passionate about literacy.