Queen Elizabeth II’s dry sense of humor was an important part of her character.
According to many who studied the longest reigning monarch, she never took herself “too seriously.”
Earlier this year, Royal historian Robert Lacey told the BBC that “laughing things off” was “an important survival technique” for Queen Elizabeth II.
“She obviously takes her job seriously — but at the same time, it doesn’t stop her having a sense of the ridiculous,” he added.
Historian and author Sir Anthony Seldon also noted that “a defining characteristic” of the royal was that she didn’t “take herself too seriously.”
He added that her puckishness “significantly contributed to the success of her reign.”
Her droll sense of wit was on full display when a group of American tourists failed to recognize her while she was walking on her estate at Balmoral Castle back in August 2021.
Richard Griffin — the Queen’s policeman — told The Times, according to The Sun, that the tourists asked her if she lived nearby. Amused, she replied that she had a house close by.
When they further asked if she’d ever met the Queen, she cheekily replied, “No, but this policeman has,” gesturing towards him.
The former officer — who worked for the royal family for over 30 years — added that the group left, not realizing they had just chatted with one of the most famous women in the world.
Meanwhile, the Queen delighted a global audience in 2012 when she had an unforgettable cameo at The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.
She was filmed leaving Buckingham Palace with James Bond actor Daniel Craig before they hopped into a helicopter for a ride to the ceremony. Even two pet corgi dogs made an appearance.
The video ended with a double dressed as Her Highness jumping from the chopper and descending with a Union Jack parachute.
Most recently, the monarch managed to steal the show at the “Platinum Party at the Palace,” a tribute concert, last June.
In a surprise pre-recorded video, she was shown sharing high tea with another beloved British celebrity — Paddington Bear.
The accident-prone Peruvian bear caused his usual chaos while the Queen looked on serenely. Onlookers, including her great-grandson, Prince George, roared as the Queen finally, after years of mystery, revealed the purpose of her ever-present leather handbag: it’s where she hid her secret stash of marmalade sandwiches.
“The opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss,” a palace spokesman told the Sunday Times of London.
The Queen perhaps summed it up in her 1991 Christmas message.
“Let us not take ourselves too seriously,” she said.
“None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.”
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