In the days since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 at age 96, touching tributes for the longest-reigning British monarch have flooded in across social media.
While the queen is being remembered for her dedicated service to England for over seven decades, her life and legacy outside her royal duties are also being celebrated, including her deep love for animals and penchant for humor.
For the 2012 Olympics in London, the queen joined Daniel Craig, in 007 mode, for a Danny Boyle-directed segment that appeared to show the queen hurling herself from a helicopter into the stadium hosting the Opening Ceremony. In truth, stuntman Gary Connery pulled off the feat while fitted in his own version of the queen’s pink dress, but the hilarious sequence still showcased her sillier side.
“It was not a case of having to persuade the queen to take part,” an official reportedly told London’s Daily Mirror in July 2012. “Her Majesty said ‘yes’ to it straight away. She thought it was such brilliant fun. And when the idea for the format was explained to her she was happy with that, too. When we came to filming it the queen was a natural.”
The queen herself said she enjoyed the experience, calling it “a bit of a laugh,” according to the Mirror.
But that was not the only time the royal matriarch had dabbled in the quirky or unusual. In addition to that (fabricated) royal skydive, here are seven more of the queen’s most delightfully fun moments:
1. Impersonating people (and at least one plane)
According to the Associated Press, the late Ian Paisley, a clergyman-politician from Northern Ireland, hailed the queen for being a “great mimicker” of him.
The late Bishop Michael Mann, who’d served as her domestic chaplain, also called her imitation of the Concorde landing “one of the funniest things you could see.”
2. Calling herself “Miss Piggy”
While watching highlights from the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the queen told her late husband, "'Oh, Philip, do look! I’ve got my Miss Piggy face on,’” according to the Mirror.
The self-effacing moniker remained an inside joke among her family and staff ever since. For her 60th birthday in 1986, Buckingham Palace staffers gave her a birthday card depicting the porcine Muppet as the queen herself; upon opening the card, the queen “burst into peals of laughter,” the Mirror reported.
3. Pranking Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah
In his memoir “Ever the Diplomat,” Sherard Cowper-Coles chronicled how, in 1998, the Queen offered the then-crown prince of Saudi Arabia a tour — then shocked him when she served as his temporary chauffeur. Cowper-Coles wrote, “To [Abdullah’s] surprise, the queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off. Women are not — yet — allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen.”
The queen apparently enjoyed pushing several limits, including, perhaps, speed. Cowper-Coles added, “Through his interpreter, the Crown Prince implored the queen to slow down and concentrate on the road ahead."
4. Declining to sit in the Iron Throne on the set of “Game of Thrones”
While her June 2014 visit to the Northern Ireland set of the HBO drama was rather stately, one could argue that it is silly to be that close to the Iron Throne and not sit in it. But perhaps when you have had your own throne, it’s a been-there, done-that sort of thing.
5. Photobombing fans
Jayde Wells, an Australian field-hockey Olympian competing in the Commonwealth Games, scored off the field in July 2014 when she and her friend snagged a shot of the queen sneaking a peek into her camera lens. Equal parts adorable and hilarious, the resulting photo went viral, and was crowned TODAY.com’s best photobomb of 2014.
6. Throwing shade at Barack Obama and Michelle Obama
Alongside her grandson, Prince Harry, the queen participated in a humorous promotional video ahead of the 2016 Invictus Games.
In a short clip shared on social media, the queen and Prince Harry are sitting together looking through a pamphlet for The Games, which were founded by the prince. They were then interrupted by a text send by former First Lady Michelle Obama, which included a video of her and former President Barack Obama.
“Hey, Prince Harry. Remember when you told us to bring it at the Invictus Games?” Michelle Obama asked, folding her arms across her chest.
President Obama chimed in, adding, “Careful what you wish for,” before three uniformed service members standing in the background attempted intimidating faces and gestures.
The queen had the perfect reaction to their attempt at a mic drop, simply responding, “Oh really? Please.”
7. Teasing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... and herself
In November 2015, just five months before turning 90, the queen attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where she tweaked the newly elected Canadian head of state for praising her “long and tireless service.”
With a fierce deadpan, she quipped, “Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old.”
This article was first published in 2016.
