She has been the Queen of England since she was 25-years-old, which means at the incredible age of 93 she’s been a monarch for 68 years and is currently the longest-reigning monarch in the world and the world’s longest-serving female head of state in history.
This also means she is one of the most famous women in the world, so you can imagine that any chance to be able to fly under the radar would probably be embraced by Queen Elizabeth, after all it’s been previously revealed that she despises the hush that falls on a room when she enters.
So how did she react when she bumped into a group of tourists at Balmoral Estate who surprisingly didn’t recognise her? She played a practical joke of course!
Queen Elizabeth loves a practical joke! (Image: Getty)
According to the Independent, the Queen’s former protection officer Richard Griffin revealed exactly what unfolded when Her Majesty, dressed in a headscarf and tweed coat, bumped into a group of American tourists who asked her whether she lived in the area.
She reportedly responded simply by saying she had a house nearby.
“Have you ever met the Queen?” they asked… the Queen.
To which she apparently replied, “no”, but hilariously pointed to a police officer who was standing by, “but he has.”
With that, the group of tourists left, still completely unaware of whose company they had just shared, and we’re sure the Queen had a good chuckle!
The Queen, dressed in a headscarf and tweed coat, was unrecognisable to the American tourists visiting Balmoral Castle. (Image: Getty)
Balmoral Estate, in the Highlands of Scotland, is well-known to be Queen Elizabeth’s favourite home, with her granddaughter Princess Eugenie previously revealing it was where Her Majesty is “the most happy”.
“Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time,” Eugenie revealed in the documentary Our Queen at Ninety.
“It’s a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there’ where you just have room to breathe and run.
“It’s the most beautiful place on earth. I think Granny is the most happy there.”
Adding: “I think she really, really loves the Highlands.”
WATCH: The Queen with her grandchildren at Balmoral. Story continues below…
This interaction with American tourists is of course not the first time the Queen has shown she has a great sense of humour.
It was recently revealed by royal author Adam Helliker that there’s one very awkward conversation that Queen had in the past that has become one of Prince Philip’s favourite anecdotes about his wife.
During a conversation with the former French president General de Gaulle and his wife Madame de Gaulle at Buckingham Palace, Adam Helliker told The Sun: “A guest asked Madame de Gaulle what she was most looking forward to in her retirement, which was imminent.
“With great elaboration (as she didn’t speak much English) she replied: ‘A penis’.
“An awkward silence then ensued for some time, until the Queen herself came to the rescue, and she said, with a broad grin: ‘Ah, happiness.'”
Of course, as the French would not usually pronounce the letter ‘h’, you can see how the awkward slip-up happened.
The Queen’s known for sharing a laugh or two and former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond has previously said, “she always had a good sense of humour.”
And with a husband like the Duke of Edinburgh, who is known for his witty (but sometimes off-colour) jokes, it’s no surprise that their more than 70-year-strong relationship has often been credited to their love of a good laugh.
