Queen Elizabeth spent more than 70 years on the throne, but it seems she could still go incognito, if one prank she pulled was anything to go by
Four years ago today the UK entered official mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch had spent 70 years and 214 on the throne and aged 96 she passed away at her beloved holiday home of Balmoral.
The late Queen loved nothing more than spending time in her Scottish castle during the summer months, as members of the royal family frequently joined her for walking and barbecues. The late Queen often described her remote home as her “most beloved place” so it was fitting she was able to spend her final days there.
Despite her global fame, it appears that the Queen could occasionally go unnoticed while holidaying in the Scottish wilderness.
Former protection officer Richard Griffin became an internet sensation after recounting an incident where two American tourists failed to recognise the Queen during a chance encounter on her Scottish estate.
Speaking to Sky News, he told how the monarch was taking a leisurely walk around Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland when she bumped into two hikers.
At the time, she was casually dressed in tweeds and sporting a headscarf – and the pair didn’t recognise her.
He recalled: “There were two hikers coming towards us and the Queen would always stop and say hello. It was two Americans on a walking holiday and it was clear they hadn’t recognised her, which was fine.
“The American man asked her if she lived in the area to which she replied that she did indeed have a house nearby.
“She said that she lived in London but had a house just over the hill, and he asked how often she had been coming up here.
“She said she’d been coming up for more than 80 years and you could see the cogs were ticking. He said: ‘Well if you’ve been coming up here for 80 years, you must have met the Queen?'”
“As quick as a flash, she said ‘Well I haven’t but Dick here meets her regularly.’ So the guy asked me what she was like.
“And because I was with her a long time, I could pull her leg, so I said she could be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humour.
“Anyway the next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what is happening, he gives his camera to the Queen and asks her to take a photo of us.
“Anyway, we swapped places, I took a photo of them with the Queen, we never let on and we waved goodbye. Then Her Majesty said to me that she’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows these photos to his American friends and hopefully someone tells him who I am.”
The tweet went viral, with one fan writing: “On a weekend of Queen anecdotes, this won’t be matched. Just lovely.”
Another said: “Wouldn’t it be great if they tracked these hikers down and had them meet the Queen again.”