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Queen Elizabeth II: Eight of the monarch's most unroyal moments

The monarch meets and greets yet another world leader, US president Donald Trump

Olivia Blair
Monday 23 December 2019 18:06 GMT
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Queen Elizabeth II's most 'unroyal' moments

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Queen Elizabeth II will meet Donald Trump today for the first time.

Her majesty is no stranger to hosting world leaders at formal events. As the longest-serving monarch in British history, the Queen was propelled onto the throne in 1953, aged just 25.

During her reign, she has witnessed 12 Prime Ministers, seven Archbishops of Canterbury, seven Popes and shaken thousands of hands along the way.

Naturally, having been in the job for over 63 years, HRH is an expert in being regal. However, there has been the odd occasion where the mask, or should we say crown, has slipped and the Queen hasn’t been as royal as one would expect.

Swerving an unassuming family

One would expect the Queen to be chauffeur-driven at all times, however, sometimes you just can’t get the staff. When a young family were aimlessly enjoying their weekend walk in Windsor Great Park last summer, the Queen took matters into her own hands and drove up on the grass to swerve the time-wasters.

Queen at 90 celebrations

Driving a range rover, wearing a hoodie

Immediately moving on to another driving-related instance, is the time the Queen drove her range-rover wearing a "hoodie". Cue endless ‘They see me rollin’, they hatin’” memes across the internet.

Photobombing

Proving that the Queen is not out-of-touch with viral news and Millennial trends, she (maybe accidentally but we like to think not) photobombed two Australian hockey players posing for a selfie at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

The time she was a mechanic

She may have been a Princess but was still part of the Royal Family when she joined the army and was effectively a mechanic in 1945. As the vintage clip below explains: “When the training centre was visited by the King and Queen and Princess Margaret, they found Princess Elizabeth in overalls working on the engine of a Red Cross lorry.”

That James Bond sketch

Never one to take herself too seriously, the Queen joined in the fun and games when London hosted the Olympics in 2012. She left mouths open when complete with her actual corgis she greeted Daniel Craig at Buckingham Palace. The duo then flew into the ceremony via helicopter before Her Majesty ejected herself and floated down via parachute (disclaimer: yes, everything in the last sentence was the work of a stunt double).

She’s fond of Ali G impressions

Arguably, it’s fairly un-royal to find Sacha Baron Cohen’s depiction of the Staines-based character funny. However, according to her Grandson, Prince William, she does. The Queen Mother learnt the infamous ‘respect’ quip from her great-grandsons and apparently said to the Queen after a meal: “Darling, lunch was marvellous - 'respec'” which apparently the Queen found hilarious.

When she was charmed by Trudeau

The new Canadian Prime Minister is pretty much liked by everyone he meets, and the Queen is no exception. At a Commonwealth event last year, the Queen was flattered by Mr Trudeau’s tribute to her and responded in her speech, joking: “Thank you, Justin Trudeau, for making me feel so old.”

Mr Trudeau responded on Twitter saying: “On the contrary, you are forever young.” What a charmer.

Finally, this picture of the Queen with a rifle, which was reportedly taken in 1993 at a shooting centre in Surrey:

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