Remembering Queen Elizabeth II's Sense of Humor
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As the UK—and the world—comes to terms with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, many of us will be looking back at her remarkable life. From her dedication to the British nation to her accomplishments as a female ruler, there is so much to be celebrated about Britain's longest-serving monarch.
But it's not just serious stuff. Her Majesty's loving relationship with Prince Philip is one that we'll cherish forever, and the Queen's memorable, feminist moments will certainly go down in history. As will her humour – which, although was often kept hidden behind closed doors (such is the way when you're head of state), did slip out from time to time.
In honour of Her Majesty's impeccable wit, we've taken a look back at Queen Elizabeth II's funniest moments...
Queen Elizabeth II's wit and humor
When she said 'reject modernity, embrace tradition' over cutting a cake
After serving as monarch for seven decades, it's no wonder that the Queen wanted to do things her own way. And she proved just that during a royal engagement in 2021 when she decided to cut a cake with a sword – yep, a real sword! – rather than a knife.
"There is a knife there if you want to use it," one of the event's organizers tells Her Majesty as she struggles to cut the cake. "What?" the Queen replies, before quipping back: "I know there is! But this is something that is more unusual."
Unsurprisingly, the crowd erupted in laughter – just as we have every! single! time! we've watched this clip.
When she struggled to contain her laughter at Prince Philip's prank
There is no denying that Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, had one helluva romance. With a relationship that spanned more than 70 years, the couple never let their love waiver – just take a look at the time Prince Philip pranked his wife by dressing up as a guard, if you need evidence of that.
We'd have struggled to keep a straight face too, Your Majesty!
When she made fun of President Bush's slip-of-the-tongue
During a dinner with world leaders in 2007, President Bush aged the Queen by 200 years when he accidentally said she had celebrated the US bicentennial in 1776 instead of 1976.
Thankfully, Her Majesty took it all in her stride, opening her own speech by saying: "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776...'"
"Your Majesty, I can't top that one," Bush replied.
See a clip of the moment, here.
When she skydived out of a helicopter
Despite being well into what should have been a relaxing few years as an OAP, Queen Elizabeth II shocked us all when she skydived out of a helicopter alongside Daniel Craig (aka James Bond) at the 2012 London Olympics.
Of course, the real Queen didn't actually perform the daredevil stunt – she was replaced by a stunt-double – but the impact of the epic moment landed just the same.
"Queen Elizabeth was very amused by the idea and agreed immediately," royal dressmaker Angela Kelly said of the stunt, which you can watch here.
When she joked about keeping a marmalade sandwich in her handbag
Showing that she really was a woman after our own hearts, Her Majesty jokingly told Paddington Bear during a Platinum Jubilee promo video that she keeps a marmalade sandwich in her purse.
Yep, we too keep an emergency snack in our bag at all times!
When she gave the most iconic answer to being asked 'how are you?'
During a royal visit to Northern Ireland in 2016, Queen Elizabeth II was asked if she was well by Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness. "Well, I'm still alive, anyway!" Her Majesty quipped back in response – proving her certified sass status once and for all.
When a royal fan asked her to take a photo of him
Having been *the* most famous woman on the planet for the best part of a century, you'd scoff at the idea of a royal fan not recognising Her Majesty. But, that's exactly what happened with a couple of fans visiting from the US, according to one of the Queen's former staff members.
Recalling the incident, the monarch's ex protection officer Richard Griffin revealed that the pair stumbled across two American tourists on a walk near Her Majesty's Balmoral Estate. Despite dropping plenty of hints, the tourists did not recognize the Queen – instead asking her to take a photo of them!
Erm, bet they were kicking themselves when the penny eventually dropped...
When she held her own against the world's leaders
Whilst posing for a photo with world leaders last year at the G7 summit, Her Majesty evoked uncontainable laughter when she joked: "Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?"
LOL!
When she clapped back at Canada's PM for making her "feel so old"
As we all know, mentioning a lady's age is a major faux pas! But it seems that Canada's PM, Justin Trudeau, didn't get that message – much to the disdain of Her Majesty.
ICYMI, back at a gala for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2015, Trudeau pointed out that he was the 12th Canadian Prime Minister to hold office during Queen Elizabeth II's reign. In response, Her Majesty thanked the PM for making her "feel so old".
When she quite literally dropped the mic with Prince Harry
During a promotional video for Prince Harry's Invictus Games, Her Majesty responded to a competitive message from Barack and Michelle Obama.
"Hey, Prince Harry, remember when you told us to bring it at the Invictus Games?" the former First Lady says. "Careful what you wish for," President Barack Obama adds, as a soldier in the background mimes dropping a mic.
The clip then cuts to Prince Harry and Her Majesty, with the monarch replying: "Oh, really, please!"
We'll miss you, Your Majesty!
Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this emotional time.
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