Queen Elizabeth II was the epitome of grace and elegance, with a touch of witty humour.
Throughout her extraordinary reign, the former Queen exuded remarkable courage, sophistication, and immense dedication to her duties as Britain’s monarch.
However, beneath the royal etiquettes, she possessed a sharp sense of homour that is remembered to this day.
From joking around with the US President George Bush and roasting herself to cutting a cake with a sword, here are five times when Queen Elizabeth stole the show with her quick-witted sarcasm.
1- Poking fun at US President George W. Bush:
During her 2007 visit to the United States of America, Queen Elizabeth II was welcomed by then President George W. Bush with a speech on the lawn of The White House.
In his speech, the President mentioned the fact that the late Queen helped to celebrate the US bicentennial, but accidently made a mistake and stated that this happened during the year 1776, rather than 1976.
Soon as Bush realized his error, he looked at the former Queen and said, "She just gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."
While Elizabeth let the mistake slide at that moment, she reminded the former US President of it during a dinner hosted by the British ambassador, where the mother of four began her speech saying, "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, ‘When I was here in 1776 …’"
2- Jesting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
In 2015, the late Queen of Britain and the commonwealth realms hosted a gala dinner for leaders who attended the Commonwealth Summit in Malta.
During the dinner, the former Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, delivered a speech to honour Elizabeth’s more than 60 years of service as a monarch, calling her reign “long and tireless,” adding that, over the course of her monarchy, she had likely seen more of Canada than most Canadians themselves.
Responding Trudeau, Prince Andrew’s mother humourously said, "Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old,” sparking a wave of laughter among everyone present at the dinner.
3- Spotting cows during her birthday celebration:
One more of Queen Elizabeth’s funny moments include her appearance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2016, on her 90th birthday, which she attended alongside several other members of the Royal Family.
During the show, she watched almost the entire parade of cattle with a stern-face.
However, the Queen’s expression instantly brightened with a wide smile when a herd of cows entered the arena, and she could not help but say out loud, “Cows!”
4- Cake-cutting with a sword:
In 2021, the beloved former Queen of the UK visited The Eden Project with Princess Kate and now-Queen Camilla, where she had to carry out a very cliché royal duty, a cake cutting, to celebrate the launch of The Big Lunch initiative.
As she geared up to cut the cake, Elizabeth was handed over a ceremonial sword instead of a knife, to which she responded, "I don’t think this is going to work!"
But when a member of staff told her that there is a knife available alongside the cake, King Charles’s mother flaunted her brilliant sense of humour by a one-liner, saying, "I know there is! This is something that is more unusual," which prompted a burst of laughter across the room.
5- Hilarious quip at G7 Summit:
Among several of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s witty moments and quips, one took place back in 2021 during the G7 Summit in Cornwall.
Alongside former Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson, ex-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and former German Chanellor Angela Merkel, he UK’s former Monarch posed for a group photo.
Following a few minutes of complete quietness, Elizabeth broke the silence asking, "Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?"
This hilarious one-liner from the ex-Queen was met with lots of laughter from the group assembled.
