Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot

Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot

Britain's Queen Elizabeth gave the former First Minister of Scotland a tip for one of her horses.

Alex Salmond and the 88-year-old royal share a passion for horse racing, and he's revealed the Queen gave him a betting tip on one of her horses that finished first in its race.

Speaking to the Dundee Courier newspaper, the former First Minister - who used to regularly hold private audiences with the Queen - admitted she would give him racing tips, but refused to reveal how much money he won.

Salmond, 60, also hit out at Prime Minster David Cameron for revealing details of private conversations between himself and the Queen.

He said Cameron should "hang his head in shame" for disclosing that the monarch "purred" with pleasure when she was told the result of the Scottish referendum on independence.

What's more, Salmond said he would always treat his conversations with the Queen as private, despite saying during the referendum campaign that she would be "proud" to rule an independent Scotland.

Salmond resigned as First Minister in November last year, having held the position since May 2007.