The Queen was renowned for her stern demeanour and ability to maintain composure under pressure.
But only those who were closest to Her Majesty got to experience her sense of humour.
One of the better instances was when one of her former bodyguards described a fantastic trick she pulled on two American visitors.
According to Richard Griffin, the queen had been trekking close to the Balmoral estate in Scotland while sporting tweeds and a headscarf.
She passed a group of American visitors who failed to identify her and inquired as to whether she lived nearby. She said that she did.
But when questioned whether she had met the Queen, the monarch mockingly said, “No, but he has,” while pointing to her bodyguard.
They then requested that Her Majesty take a picture of them with the officer before getting her to do the same.
Griffin, who spent more than 30 years working for the royal family, related the tale to Sky News in June during the nationwide Platinum Jubilee festivities in Britain.
You won’t often meet anybody in these picnic areas, he added. However, the Queen would always stop and wave to the two hikers who were approaching us.
It was two Americans who were on a walking vacation. And it was obvious from the minute we stopped that they had not seen the Queen, which is acceptable.
The American guy was describing to the Queen his origins, their upcoming destination, and their previous stops in Great Britain.
And I knew it was going to happen, since he asked Her Majesty, “And where do you live?”
She said, “Well, I reside in London, but I have a vacation property just around the corner.”
How often have you been coming here, he asked? I’ve been coming up here ever since I was a tiny child, she added, which is more than 80 years.
“Well, if you’ve been coming up here for 80 years, I guess you’ve met the Queen,” he remarked.
She responded in an instant: “Well, I haven’t, but Dickie here meets her often. I was asked whether I had met the Queen by the man. Who is she like?
She may be rather grumpy at times, but she has a beautiful sense of humour, I added.
“The next thing I know, this man walks up and puts his arm over my shoulder. Before I could even realise what was going on, he got his camera, handed it to the Queen, and asked if she would want to take a photo.
However, when we switched positions and I secretly snapped a photo of them with the Queen, Her Majesty said, “I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows that to his pals in America.” Then we waved farewell.
The Queen did often lead a more sedate lifestyle when vacationing at Balmoral, despite the fact that their meeting wasn’t recent.
She often wears wellington boots and simple clothing instead of her distinctively eye-catching coloured outfits while attending royal events.
The British royal family has resided at Balmoral Castle since 1852.
It is situated on expansive grounds that total over 50,000 acres.
It is a functioning estate with farming, forestry, Highland cattle, and pony herds that are all under management.
The Queen’s Scottish holiday residence, Balmoral Castle, is filled with eras of royal memories.
The Queen has always considered Balmoral to be one of her favourite destinations, and it is reported that she is never happy than when she is there.
Each summer, she makes the trip to the estate in Aberdeenshire, inviting her family members to join her while she is there.
She received Balmoral Castle from previous royal dynasties when it was purchased by Prince Albert in 1852 for Queen Victoria.
Following a vacation in Craigowan Lodge on the estate in July, the Queen often spends the months of August, September, and October at the main residence.
1972 excursion by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to a farm on the Balmoral estate (PA)
She travelled to Balmoral this year on July 21 and stayed there until Tuesday, when she made history by appointing a new prime minister there.
The 96-year-old queen, who has struggled with mobility concerns for years, usually has audiences with departing and incoming premiers at Buckingham Palace, but she spent this year in Scotland.
For this week’s important audiences, outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson and his successor Liz Truss travelled a total of 1,000 miles to Aberdeenshire.
The Queen had earlier this summer defied protocol by reviewing a guard of honour to formally celebrate moving into her Scottish estate.
She usually oversees the guard of honour at Balmoral’s gates, but this year, insiders said, she did so quietly within the estate’s grounds for her “comfort.”
Balmoral is a private house of the Queen, similar to Sandringham, rather than a royal palace of the Crown.
The Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie famously called Balmoral “the most beautiful spot on earth.”
There are constantly dogs around, walks, picnics, and people coming and going all the time, she said.
“It’s a beautiful base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to go up there and see them; where you simply have space to breathe and run,” we say.
At Balmoral, many royal memories have been made over the years, including family picnics when the Queen washed the dishes and the Duke of Edinburgh handled the cooking.
Following their 1947 nuptials, Philip and Princess Elizabeth spent a portion of their honeymoon in Birkhall, a lavish hunting lodge on the Balmoral estate.
When Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the Queen was in Balmoral with her grandsons William and Harry.