After ascending to the throne of Great Britain 70 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II became one of the most famous personalities in the world.

On the occasion of the Queen’s birthday, reporters from the Reuters news agency talked to several experts in the history of the royal house to ask them to reveal lesser-known things about the British sovereign. On the occasion of the anniversary, Mary Angela Kelly, a British fashion designer and personal adviser to the Queen, told little-known moments about Elizabeth II.

“Great sense of humor”

“We all saw another side of the Queen … when she did that James Bond skit … for the opening of the London Olympics,” royal biographer Penny Junor said.

In the hilarious short film, which was broadcast on a giant screen to a packed Olympic Stadium in London and to an impressive television audience around the world, Queen Elizabeth II was shown during her meeting with secret agent 007, played by Daniel. Craig, and climbed aboard the helicopter with him. Then two professional stunt doubles — a pair of stunt doubles — parachuted in and landed inside the stadium, just before the spotlight turned on the real Queen of Great Britain, who greeted the crowd before taking the official podium.

“What the Queen has shown us is the very professional image she presents to the world in her official role, and the irrepressible and charming sense of humor she has in private, which her family can see.” – added Penny Junor.

Who convinced the Queen “in five minutes” to star in a clip with James Bond

Mary Angela Kelly, a British fashion designer and personal adviser to the Queen, told in her book “The Other Side of The Coin: the Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe” how she convinced Elizabeth “in five minutes” to be the first to appear in the clip with James Bond.

“I ran down the stairs to see if the queen was free. She was very amused by this idea and said that she agreed to appear in the film, but she had to say something. “Especially if Bond comes to save me,” said the Queen cheerfully, Angela Kelly said.

According to the author of the book, the Queen changed her lines slightly, choosing to say “Good evening, Mr. Bond” instead of “Good evening, James.” In this sequence, the famous agent 007, played by the British actor Daniel Craig, rescues the Queen from Buckingham Palace by putting her in a helicopter , from which they both skydive over the Olympic Stadium in London (the British sovereign’s skydive scene was dubbed by a stunt actor)

“Great Copier”

“I know she’s a great mimic. She privately entertains members of her family by impersonating various world leaders and it seems she is a very good impersonator and could make a decent career out of it,” said Charles Ray, former royal correspondent for The Sun. tabloid

Her shoes were originally worn by a servant of the royal household

“The Queen has to stand quite a lot … so that’s an incredibly important aspect because she has to be comfortable, and I think that’s what happens when her shoes, which have become kind of a classic low heel, are worn by a member of the royal family. family before she wears them,” said Lydia Slater, editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar magazine.

“This worker, who apparently has the same foot size, has to wear them on the carpet for a few days before the Queen puts them on her feet to make sure the shoes don’t pinch her and cause blisters, which could be disastrous. when she attends events and stands for a long time,” added Lydia Slater.

He attended the races at Ascot

“Almost everyone knows that the Queen has a great passion for horse racing, but I think people don’t know that she even took part in such races,” said historian Matthew Dennison, author of The Queen.

“In the early years of the Queen’s reign, there was a tradition in the Royal Family that during Ascot Race Week members of the Royal Family would compete against each other before the official races began. The Queen and members of her family were indeed very fast in this race. ,” he added.

“I think there’s a certain amount of bitterness in that, because moving very fast on horseback in a group of relatives, trusted servants and close friends gives you a sense of freedom that she obviously doesn’t have. he lived it too often,” said historian and writer Matthew Dennison. (source: Agerpres)