James Bond, Paddington, “photobombing”… the royal humor of Elizabeth II

Despite the discretion and reserve inseparable from her function, Queen Elizabeth II revealed during her long reign a very “British” sense of humor through mischievous witticisms, staged or not, and appearances as unexpected as they are funny. Anthology. The world joined in the mourning of the British after the death, Thursday, September 8, of Elizabeth II. And in the rain of tributes paid to the queen, many of them refer to her sense of humor. Like Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron thus evoked “the humor so deliciously British” of the monarch who has, on many occasions, revealed a mischievous mood and a formidable sense of irony. “Are you supposed to look like you’re having fun?” BondBut her most memorable stunt will undoubtedly remain her participation in a video shot for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, and in which she plays herself. Surrounded by her favorite corgis, she receives at the palace Buckingham James Bond, played by Daniel Craig in a tuxedo, the famous British spy’s favorite work outfit. “Good evening, Mr. Bond,” she told him, before the couple headed for a helicopter. After flying over the English capital, the two characters pretend to jump with parachutes in the colors of the Union Jack, on the musical theme of 007, above the Olympic stadium. While the jump was obviously performed by a professional stuntman, the Queen then appears dressed in the same way in the stands of the stadium, to the applause of an amazed crowd. Surprise appearance alongside Paddington On the occasion of the celebrations for the 70 years of her reign, last June, the queen had reserved a new surprise for her subjects by appearing alongside Paddington bear, an icon of British children’s literature. In this clip released in the preamble to a concert organized in honor of its platinum jubilee, they are seated, face to face, drinking tea. While Paddington offers a sandwich to Elizabeth II – specifying “always keep one in case of emergency” -, the queen surprises him: “Me too. I keep mine here”, she replies, taking out a sandwich from her handbag. This appearance is the last in which the queen plays with her image. A royal response to the Obama couple a promotional clip from the Invictus Games, an international sporting event created by the Queen’s grandson for injured soldiers. The video in question is a response to the Obama couple, who first released a clip for Prince Harry. “Hey Prince Harry, remember when you told us to give it our all for the Invictus Games?” Michelle Obama said. “Be careful what can happen to you”, adds, a bit provocatively, her husband, then the United Kingdom came out on top in 2014, during the first edition of these games, with a total of 111 medals. Harry appears alongside his grandmother, whom he hired for the occasion. As he pretends to explain the essence of the Invictus Games to her, he is interrupted by the ringing of his mobile phone, which displays the word “Flotus” – an abbreviation in English meaning “First Lady of the United States”. This post contains the video with Barack Obama. At the end, the queen shrugs. “Oh really? Please,” she says in a mock dismissive tone. “Looks like President Trump” In 2018, while filming an environmental documentary alongside the famed naturalist and British environmental campaigner Sir David Attenborough, Elizabeth II, in the midst of a discussion, was interrupted by the sound of a helicopter passing overhead. The monarch was quick to joke about the plethora of escorts who often accompany American presidents on their trips: “Why do they always go around when you want to talk? They look like President Trump or President Obama.”When the queen traps two american touristsThe queen was not only ironic about the american presidential escorts. He also sometimes played tricks on complete strangers. According to an anecdote reported in 2019 by Richard Griffin, former security officer of Elizabeth II, the latter had fun with two American tourists who had not recognized her while she was walking on the grounds of the royal residence. from Balmoral, Scotland. One of the two tourists strikes up a conversation with the Queen, asking her if she lives in the area. Elizabeth II then responds that she lives in London but that she has been coming “for 80 years” to Balmoral. “You must have met the queen?” asks the tourist, amused. Elizabeth II immediately tells her no, but specifies that her friend, Richard Griffin, “sees her regularly”. The tourists then ask the security officer to have their picture taken with him, entrusting their camera… to the queen. The tourists take a picture with the sovereign, without realizing their mistake. Following this meeting, Elizabeth II would have confided to Richard Griffin that she would have liked to be a little mouse to attend the moment when the two visitors would show these photos to their friends. Her Majesty’s ‘photobombing’The Queen also trapped Australia’s hockey team players Jayde Taylor and Brookie Peris taking pictures of themselves during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. Signing this which may well be the most significant photobombing in history, the queen appears in the background of their selfie, a big smile on her face. Discovering the presence of the queen on the picture, Jade Taylor posts the photo which ends up, unsurprisingly, going around social networks.”I don’t count, me”At a reception at Sandringham House organized for members of local community and volunteer groups, a cake celebrating its platinum jubilee is presented to Elizabeth II. Lady Philippa Dannatt, Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk, explains to him that the cake has been placed on the table in reverse so that photographers can have a direct view of the jubilee logo. The queen, asked to cut a piece of the cake in front of the photographers, was not offended. On the contrary, she took the opportunity to launch a quip full of self-mockery: “It does not bother me, I do not count me.”