Queen Elizabeth, who had the longest reign as a British monarch, saw many historic and milestone moments in her rule, but she made sure there was something special she left behind for grandchildren.
The doting grandma to eight grandchildren, including Prince William and Prince Harry, had a cheeky side which she wanted to share with the young generation.
She famously participated in a James Bond sketch that played during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. The Oscar-winning director, Danny Boyle, had originally wanted to use a body-double for the monarch.
When asked for permission from the Buckingham Palace for the script, however, the director was shocked to learn that the Queen expressed her interest to be in the skit herself.
“We’re delighted for you to do it and Her Majesty would like to be in it herself…She would like to play herself,” the palace had said.
Later royal author Tina Brown revealed the late Queen’s intentions behind the stunt.
“She thought it would be a great joke to amuse her grandchildren,” Brown wrote.
“Her only real concern was keeping it a secret until the moment she walked out in person after the ‘leap’ to take her place with Philip in the royal box,” she continued. Judging by the looks on the Royal Family’s faces, it seems like Queen Elizabeth’s plan paid off.
In an interview that took place four years after the Olympics jump, Prince Harry spoke about the late Queen, as she turned 90, and the fun promotional video they made for the Invictus Games.
Harry shared that it was not “unusual” for her to do something fun. He said that when he asked her, the Queen had a look that said, “90 years, and no one asks me to do these fun things.
