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Queen Elizabeth's bodyguard remembers hilarious story of her meeting two Americans on a hike

Queen Elizabeth's bodyguard remembers hilarious story of her meeting two Americans on a hike

The late 96-year-old played a fun little prank on the unsuspecting tourists.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles attend the Braemar Highland Games on September 1, 2012 in Braemar, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

If you thought members of the Royal Family don't have a funny bone, think again. After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8 at the age of 96 but those close to her are remembering a side of her not so common in the public eye. Her bodyguard honored her memory and her cheeky sense of humor by sharing a story of an encounter she had with two Americans while hiking in the hills near her castle in Scotland.

 

 

The queen's former bodyguard Richard "Dick" Griffin revealed that she met two hikers on a walk and it was evident that they had no idea who she was. The Mirror previously reported that the senior royal decided to dress down that day unlike how she generally dresses for public events in bright colors so she's easier to spot. Her Majesty wore tweeds and a headscarf while taking a stroll on the grounds of the Scottish Estate. At the time Richard Griffin told The Times that the Queen didn't want to blow her cover at the time and likes to slip away from the watchful eye of the public every once in a while.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles attend the Braemar Highland Games at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park on September 1, 2012 in Braemar, Scotland. The Braemar Gathering is the most famous of the Highland Games and is known worldwide. Each year thousands of visitors descend on this small Scottish village on the first Saturday in September to watch one of the more colorful Scottish traditions. The Gathering has a long history and in its modern form it stretches back nearly 200 years. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles attend the Braemar Highland Games at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park on September 1, 2012 in Braemar, Scotland. The Braemar Gathering is the most famous of the Highland Games and is known worldwide. Each year thousands of visitors descend on this small Scottish village on the first Saturday in September to watch one of the more colorful Scottish traditions. The Gathering has a long history and in its modern form it stretches back nearly 200 years. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

 

 

During the Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year. Griffin recalled the story to Sky News, saying, “The Queen would always stop and say hello when she met people. It was clear from the moment we first stopped, that they hadn’t recognized the Queen. The American gentleman was telling the Queen where he’d come from, where they were going to next, and where they had been to in Britain.” When one of the tourists asked her where she lived, she replied, "Well, I live in London but I've got a holiday home just on the other side of the hills." She also told them she'd been coming up to Balmoral Castle since she was a little girl, for over 80 years. When the hiker asked if she had ever met Queen Elizabeth, she quipped, “Well, I haven't, but Dick here meets her regularly." The American tourist then asked Griffin, "Oh, you've met the Queen? What's she like?" Griffin decided to play along. “Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I told them, 'Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humor,"' he said. The American tourists later left completely unaware of whom they were talking to!

 

 

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Jeff J Mitchell