Everyone who loves the Royal Family will tell you that there’s nothing to beat a good royalty-orientated story or anecdote so here are our top 10 royal anecdotes from the British Royal Family. Enjoy!
‘The Nervous Bishop’
Queen Elizabeth II was hosting a meal for various clergy at Buckingham Palace when one of the footmen brought to Her Majesty a silver platter containing an assortment of biscuits. The bishop, on Her Majesty’s left had been uneasy for the entire dinner, in a fit of what could only be considered appeasement, the bishop nervously grabbed one of the biscuits and ate it. It wasn’t until after the bishop had taken the bite of the biscuit that Her Majesty revealed to him that what he had just eaten were dog biscuits for her corgis!
‘Ah… The King Of Prussia’
King George III was being driven through Windsor Great Park when he suddenly yelled at the driver to halt! The King climbed out of the carriage and walked up to an oak tree and began talking to it. Upon being asked why he had began talking to an oak tree, he claimed he was talking to his good friend, the King Of Prussia.
‘Jeremy Hunt’s Olympic Wisecrack’
Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, left the Queen looking more than a little bemused when he attempted to joke with her about her starring Olympic role. Meeting the monarch at a Buckingham Palace reception to thank those involved in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the politician recalled her involvement in the opening ceremony skit with Bond star Daniel Craig. He then told her: “I read about a Japanese tourist who said afterwards how wonderful our Queen must be to take part in that as they would never get their emperor to jump out of the plane.”
There was a brief ‘tumbleweed’ moment as the Queen smiled and shrugged her shoulders politely as she turned and moved on.
The still smiling minister was then approached by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who in typically blunt fashion, asked him “who are you?”.
Mr Hunt was forced to explain that while he was currently health secretary, he had been culture secretary at the time of the Jubilee and olympics.
“Well they do move you people on a lot,” the Duke said before turning smartly on his heel.
‘Thank You, Minister’
Once, a religious minister came to visit the King, Queen and Princess Margaret and Elizabeth at Glamis Castle in Scotland, The Queen’s ancestral home. Upon his leaving the castle, the preacher promised to send the 10-year-old Princess Elizabeth a book, after kindly smiling at the minister, she retorted, “Not about God – I know everything about him.”
‘The East End’
During WW2, Buckingham Palace had been hit by several bombs – one causing a death of an on duty police officer and serious damage to a part of the Palace, narrowly missing Their Majesties the King and Queen. After Buckingham Palace had been bombed quite badly, the Queen Mother (at the time The Queen) said, “I’m glad we’ve been bombed! It makes me feel as if I can look the east-end [of London] in the face now!”
‘This Queen‘
Whilst waiting to be served her Gin & Tonic, The Queen Mother could hear her staff arguing in the hallway outside her sitting room. Impatient at being kept waiting so long the Queen Mother called out, “When you two Queens have finished arguing, this Old Queen wants her Gin.”
‘I Am The Queen!’
When Prince Philip’s aunt, The Queen of Sweden came to stay in the United Kingdom, she would always carry a card around with her that said on it, ‘I am the Queen Of Sweden’. When asked why she did this, she explained, “If I were to be run down by a bus, nobody would know who I was’.
No other Monarch has ever needed such identification.
‘You Look Like The Queen!’
Queen Elizabeth II was out in a shop near Sandringham one time when a woman came up to her and said, “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look awfully like The Queen”. Her Majesty then turned, smiled and retorted, “how very reassuring”.
‘Thanks For The Flowers’
One day upon leaving the Church at Sandringham, Princess Anne was given some flowers by a well wishing member of the public. Excited that she was at the front of the spectators and that she had been fortunate enough to be able to hand her flowers directly to the Princess, the women remarked “I arranged them my self,” to which the Princess replied “Really? Why did you bother doing that!” and carried on down the road. The well wisher was offended but is still a fan of the Royal Family.
‘Sorry Ma’am’
“In animated conversation with another person at a royal function once, a publisher recalls how as the conversation became more animated, she suddenly turned her arm and whacked the person stood behind her, unbeknown to her – it was The Queen.”‘Oh Ma’am,’ she gasped. ‘I’m so sorry.’ “‘That’s all right my dear,’ The Queen replied. ‘When you’re as small as I am, you’re always hitting people in awkward places!'”
She is a very amusing lady. I loved them all.