The late Queen spent 70 years on the throne, during which time she carried out more than 21,000 public and official engagements. As such, there wasn’t a lot that would phase Her Majesty.
But her composure did slip on one very rare occasion – and the cameras were there to capture the moment.
The momentary mishap took place back in 2010, when Elizabeth stepped out to mark the 150th anniversary of the Eton Combined Cadet Force at Eton College – coincidentally where her great grandson Prince George will start this week.
Dressed in a lilac skirt suit and matching hat, she was warmly greeted by excited crowds as she arrived for the occasion.
The Queen was certainly used to accepting bouquets of flowers on her public engagement – but on this occasion, she struggled to keep hold of a plastic-wrapped display offered to her by a well-wisher.
It slipped out of Her Majesty’s hand and she promptly bent down to retrieve it, as an aide came to offer her assistance.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe bouquet slipped out of the Queen’s hand and onto the floor
The Queen moved past the moment with her usual good grace, and the rest of the visit went without a hitch.
The monarch was known to have a fantastic sense of humor behind closed doors – and on occasion that side of her was revealed to the public.
One of her best moments came when she was approached by two American tourists while out walking in the hills around Balmoral. What happened next was revealed by her former royal protection officer Richard Griffin, who had accompanied her on the outing.
© Getty ImagesAn aide was quick to offer assistance
The hikers asked the queen where she lived, to which she said London, but added that she had a holiday home nearby and had been visiting the area for more than 80 years since she was a little girl.
Aware that Balmoral was in the vicinity, she was then asked if she had ever met the queen, Griffin said.
“Quick as a flash, she said: ‘I haven’t, but Dick here meets her regularly’,” he later told Sky News.
One of the hikers then asked Dick what the Queen was like in person.
“Because I was with her a long time and I knew I could pull her leg, I said ‘Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humour’,” he said.
© Getty ImagesThe late Queen had a brilliant sense of humour
After hearing his response, the hiker requested the Queen to click a picture of him with Dick.
“Before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera and gives it to the Queen and says, ‘Can you take a picture of us?'”
Her Majesty obliged, and then Dick took the camera and also clicked a picture of her with the hikers.
Later, the Queen told Dick: “I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to friends in America and hopefully someone tells him who I am.”