Niall Horan has met Queen Elizabeth "a couple of times"

Speaking on Australia's 'Sunrise', the 26-year-old pop star said: "I've been to Buckingham Palace as part of an Anglo-Irish event, met the Queen a couple of times.

"It was probably the most nervous I've ever been. I mean, to be fair, it is the Queen after all."

Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage mentioned that Her Majesty always seems to be happy - even when she has to come face-to-face with the US' President Donald Trump.

To which Niall replied: "She's a nice lady. I don't think she's got it in her to be a bad person, even to him [President Donald Trump], which says a lot about her."

Niall is currently soaking up the sun Down Under, but will be back in the studio soon as he's planning to release his second album - the follow up his debut 'Flicker' - in early 2020.

He said recently: "The album's not coming out until maybe January, February, something like that ... March next year, you know, with the whole roll out of singles and going to do promo all over the world and such things.

"So, let the label do their thing, but I'm ready to go! I'll condense the songs down to that particular number in the coming weeks when I spend a bit more time with it."

Niall - who has recorded more than 60 songs for the album - has managed to scrap around 40 tunes, but is still hoping to whittle his song selection down to around 14 or 15.

He explained: "I've cut it down to about ... I've written about 60 songs. I've got it to 19, and then obviously ... no-one wants to hear a 19-track album! It's a lot of songs to listen to - I'm fine with maybe 14, 15, somewhere in that region, I don't mind that. I have time."