Queen Elizabeth II: More Than Just a Stoic Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II is known for her serious and stoic persona, but according to her biographer, Sally Bendell-Smith, the Queen is much livelier in private than what the public sees.

In a recent interview with People magazine, Bendell-Smith shared some details about the 94-year-old monarch's private side, specifically how she interacts with close confidants in between royal engagements.

The Queen has quite the sense of humour, and royal aides have become accustomed to hearing her joyous laughter reverberate through the castle halls at her Sandringham estate.

“You can hear her laugh throughout that big house,” says Bendell-Smith, who was told this fact by an insider source.

“She has a big laugh.”

Despite the seriousness of her role as Queen, she likes to have a little fun with it.

Bendell-Smith shared an interesting anecdote about a portrait shot the Queen did to mark her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.

Her Majesty apparently broke from the norm and instructed photographer Barry Jeffrey to just keep the camera rolling.

According to her dressmaker, Angela Kelly, she then proceeded to strike a series of poses, slipping her hands in and out of her pockets and placing them onto her lips, mimicking the stances of a professional model.

The spontaneous display of humour left onlookers stunned.

“They stood in disbelief.

The Queen was a natural,” Kelly recalled in Bendell-Smith's book.

Communing with animals is the Queen's favourite way to take a break from the rigorous demands of her position.

The Queen has one remaining dog named Candy and she keeps a stable of fell ponies, according to Bedell-Smith.

Even as her 95th birthday approaches, she continues to enjoy daily rides accompanied by a head groom.

“She goes into a peaceful mode when she's with the horses,” her close friend and equine advisor, Monty Roberts, told the author.

The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, had been residing at their house in Norfolk amid the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months.

Bendell-Smith said Her Majesty is surprisingly self-deprecating and recounted an incident where the Sovereign made a wisecrack about her own appearance.

Shortly after Prince Charles' 1981 wedding to Princess Diana, a rerun of the ceremony was being broadcast on TV during a party in London that the Queen was attending.

Spotting herself on the screen, she reportedly quipped, “Oh, there's my piggy face.”

“She has the ability to laugh at herself,” the author noted.

In fact, Her Majesty has been known to have her comedic moments over her 65-year-long reign.

In April 2006, the Queen's inspection of a passing out Sovereign's parade at Sandhurst left one cadet in stitches.

Prince Harry, then serving in the military, burst into fits of laughter at his grandmother's presence.

In 2014, the Queen famously photobombed two Australian hockey players, where she was clearly pictured smiling over the shoulder of the two athletes, behind a chain-link fence.

For the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, Her Majesty even joined James Bond in a sky-diving mission, allowing her face to be imposed over a stunt person as the figure descended from the sky.

According to royal biographer Clive Irving, author of The Last Queen, previously told Today Extra, the Queen seems more modern than younger members of her family.

However, Irving remains baffled, despite chronicling her life extensively, that the most significant thing about the Queen is how little we know about her.

“We don't know her opinions on anything.

We don't really know her feelings on anything,” he explained.

People may tell you how she feels, but they don't really know.

The Queen is no stranger to self-deprecating humour, despite being one of the most powerful figures in the world.

During a dinner in Malta in 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that the Queen had told him he had made her feel so old after pointing out he was the 12th Canadian leader to serve under her reign.

Trudeau later tweeted that the Queen is forever young in his eyes.

In 2016, the Queen was delivered two bunches of Lily of the Valley flowers, known for being used as a poison.

Following the Chelsea Flower Show, herb gardener Jekka McVicar told Hello at the time Her Majesty said, “perhaps they wanted me dead.”

Queen Elizabeth II is much more than just a stoic monarch.

She has a sense of humour, enjoys spending time with animals, and likes to have fun with her role as Queen.

Despite her long reign, we still don't know much about her personal opinions or feelings.

However, one thing is certain: the Queen is not afraid to laugh at herself, and she brings joy to those around her with her infectious laughter.