Late Queen's hilarious response to tourists who didn't recognise her during Balmoral tour
Queen Elizabeth was known to have a cheeky sense of humour, as her former protection officer, Richard Griffin, shared an anecdote of a funny encounter.
Even after her passing, stories of Queen Elizabeth II's quick wit and sense of humour continue to surface, delighting royal fans and reminding everyone of her down-to-earth nature.
One such story involves a group of unsuspecting American tourists who had an unexpected encounter with the monarch herself during one of her favourite pastimes, a stroll on the grounds of Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The Queen, who famously cherished her time at Balmoral for its seclusion and natural beauty, often enjoyed walking through the estate without the pomp and circumstance that usually surrounded her.
On one such occasion, while accompanied by her former protection officer, Richard Griffin, the Queen ran into a group of American tourists.
The tourists, oblivious to the royal figure in front of them, struck up a casual conversation.
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As Griffin recounted in a Sky News interview, the exchange began innocently enough with the tourists asking the Queen if she lived nearby.
Without missing a beat, the Queen replied that she had a house close by, adding that she had been visiting the area for over 80 years.
The Americans, still unaware to whom they were speaking, were intrigued and asked if she had ever met the Queen.
The Queen responded: "Well, I haven't, but Dick here meets her regularly," pointing to Griffin.
Griffin, seizing the opportunity for some lighthearted fun, described the Queen as having a "lovely sense of humour," which only added to the tourists' confusion.
The situation took an even more amusing turn when one of the tourists handed his camera to the Queen, asking her to take a picture of him with Griffin.
The Queen obliged, snapping a photo with a smile.
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Griffin then took a picture of the tourists with the Queen, who still remained unrecognised.
As they parted ways, the Queen shared a private chuckle with Griffin, expressing her amusement at the thought of the tourists showing the photos to friends back in America, still clueless about the true identity of their photographer.
"I'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 Queen reportedly said.
Balmoral Castle has been a royal residence since 1852 and was known to be Queen Elizabeth II's favourite retreat, a place where she could relax and enjoy her beloved dogs and the beautiful Scottish Highlands.
Her granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, once described Balmoral as "the most beautiful place on earth" and shared that it was where the Queen was happiest, surrounded by family, nature, and, often, a bit of mischief.
