Queen Elizabeth was photographed giggling with Prince Philip when a swarm of bees interrupted an event at Windsor Castle in 2003.
Photographer Chris Young, who was working for the Press Association at the time, documented the scene as guests ran for cover and a royal beekeeper came to return the bees to their hive. Young then turned his camera on Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to capture their reaction.
“I got lucky,” Young told the BBC 18 years later. “I recognized that it was a human moment. She was giggling like a little girl and he was laughing too. I thought the reaction from both of them was pretty unique.”
Photographer Tim Graham caught the Queen peeking around a corner at Royal Albert Hall in 2004.
The Queen was visiting Royal Albert Hall to mark the end of its eight-year restoration project.
Queen Elizabeth made Prince Harry crack a smile at a military parade in 2006.
Queen Elizabeth attended the Sovereign’s Parade at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to see Prince Harry’s passing-out ceremony, during which he was commissioned as an Army officer. As she walked by the line of soldiers, Harry couldn’t help but grin at the Queen, whom he called “Granny.”
Over his 10 years in the British Army, Harry served two tours in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of captain.
In 2012, the Queen made Kate Middleton laugh on her diamond jubilee tour.
Queen Elizabeth and Middleton laughed as they watched a children’s sports event on their visit to Vernon Park in Nottingham.
Queen Elizabeth bent down to talk to her great-grandson Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s christening in 2015.
“It was a lovely moment — a link between the generations here, Prince George talking to the Queen,” Jackson said. “Of course, no one really knows what they’re talking about, but he’s clearly looking quite inquisitive. I loved the interaction between them both, and it’s quite rare to see these family moments.”
Royal photographer Chris Jackson captured the moment a knife got stuck in a cake that Queen Elizabeth was cutting, causing the royals to burst out laughing.
At the 100-year celebration of the Women’s Institute in 2015, Queen Elizabeth cut the ceremonial first slice of cake — or at least, she tried to.
“If you look closely, you can see the knife stuck in the cake,” Jackson previously told Insider. “It’s a great example of when things don’t always go to plan, it often makes the best photographs. Everyone bursts into laughter, and it’s suddenly a relaxed moment.”
Jackson said Princess Anne finally managed to dislodge the knife.
“It’s one of those things where you might not know exactly what’s going on if you look at this picture,” he said. “But if you look at the detail a little bit closely, you can probably figure it out.”
Jackson also photographed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip making the acquaintance of Donna the elephant while visiting a UK zoo in 2017.
“What I loved about this particular picture is that it’s just after the Queen’s fed the banana to Donna, but she’s anticipating her next one,” Jackson told Insider. “And she’s got her trunk absolutely straight outstretched, keen to snuffle another banana from the Queen.”
Jackson said Donna’s enthusiasm made the zookeepers a bit nervous.
“Another bit of the hidden detail that you probably can’t see: There’s quite a few zookeepers looking slightly concerned that a huge animal is going to suddenly rush forward,” he said.
Thankfully, Donna kept a respectful distance from the monarch.
Jackson said the Highland Games in Scotland are one of his favorite royal engagements because “it’s a lovely opportunity to photograph the royal family at an event where they’re quite relaxed.”
“Often, you look at the Queen and the Prince of Wales, and you almost forget that they’re mother and son,” Jackson said. “So to see them at an event like this, clearly enjoying themselves and feeling relaxed, it reminds me of these family bonds and this relationship.”
The Queen and Meghan Markle shared a laugh on their first joint royal engagement in 2018.
The pair rode in Her Majesty’s luxurious royal train to Cheshire, UK, for the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
She opted to cut a cake with a sword instead of a knife at the 2021 G7 Summit, to Camilla and Middleton’s amusement.
During the G7 Summit in 2021, the Queen began cutting a ceremonial cake with a sword belonging to the Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall. When an aide pointed out that there was also a knife available, the Queen assured the crowd that she had chosen the sword on purpose.
“I know there is,” the Queen said, eliciting a chuckle from onlookers. “This is something that is more unusual.”