A year later, the family had fallen on hard times, and moved to Coventry, where Tallon grew up in Norman Place Road in Coundon.
The day he was to begin his apprenticeship, Tallon, then residing in Keresley, received a letter from the Comptroller of the Household, with a form to be completed and a travel warrant to Buckingham Palace.
Having always shown an interest in the Royal Family, his book of press cuttings on King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was his greatest treasure.
Tallon was on duty from early in the morning until the Queen Mother went to bed; he entered her private rooms without knocking, and bought the Christmas presents which she gave to others.
[8] That night, whilst at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden with the Queen Mother, Tallon learnt that Wilcock was dying.
[3][9] After Wilcock's death, Tallon reportedly suffered from depression, and felt "sidelined" when the Queen Mother turned to a younger team of staff for her nursing care.
[2][7] Tallon's funeral took place at the Queen's Chapel in St James's Palace, with readings from Sir Derek Jacobi and Patricia Routledge.
[10][11] In 2008 Reeman Dansie Auctioneers sold Tallon's collections of royal memorabilia, including personal letters, gifts, photographs and programmes, even though he had said in the past that he intended to leave them to The Royal Collection, as noted in the book Little Billy Tallon, a memoir by Ty Munroe, who was his under butler at Clarence House.
[14][15][16] In July 2023, it was announced that Tallon would be portrayed by Luke Evans in a new play, Backstairs Billy, with Penelope Wilton as the Queen Mother.