A Great Sense of Humour
Humour is a key concept to overall success in life and a crucial quality for leaders to possess. It is a great way to make others feel at ease because we seem more approachable. When we laugh, not only do we feel more relaxed, but we also tend to make those around us feel similarly.
She is known as the queen that almost wasn’t. Her place in the line of succession to the throne was distant and only because in 1936 her uncle King Edward Vlll abdicated (which means giving up or stepping down from the throne )after less than a year as King.
He gave up the throne to marry twice a divorced American socialite named Wallis Simpson. Queen Elizabeth’s father became King George Vl.
Queen Elizabeth was born on 21 April 1926, she had a happy childhood she rode horses, was homeschooled and was nicknamed Lilibet.
As a symbolic Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen was unable to publicly exhibit her political views, but this does not mean that she was completely unable to express herself.
When the Queen turned 21, she spoke to the Commonwealth in a Broadcast Speech to the Commonwealth Cape Town on April 21 1947.
She said, “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” This speech was important as it was the first time the Queen had addressed a nation in this way.
James Bond actor Daniel Craig talked to the media about what it was like to meet the Queen in 2012 when they filmed a spoof for the London Olympics and he revealed that the Queen had said to him – “You’re the one that doesn’t smile.”
Michelle Obama recalled the Queen dismissing Royal Protocol as “rubbish” during their first meeting. The First Lady admitted that she had all of the different protocols “buzzing in her head and the Queen said to her “just get in, sit wherever.”
Back in 1976, Her Majesty came to the US for a State Visit with President Ford. At that time, their son Jack Ford was either living in or visiting the White House and would be attending the dinner.
As Jack was getting dressed, he realised he needed studs for his tuxedo shirt, so he dashed out of his room, half-dressed, to take the elevator up to his parent’s room to borrow some from his dad.
As the door opened on the elevator, he jumped in without even looking to see who else was there….and found himself face-to-face with not only his parents but Her Majesty as well.
Mrs Ford was, naturally, quite embarrassed that her son would be seen by not just another head of state, but the Queen of flippin’ England!, in that condition, and tried to make apologies.
Her Majesty, however, wasn’t the least bit fazed. She laughed and said, “It’s quite all right. I have one just like that at home myself.”
Actor Michael Caine has a property which backed onto a famous race course (Ascot ?), and with the property came easement rights for an access lane the public couldn’t use.
He could simply open a gate and cross the grassed lane into Ascot, but every time the national race day was on, he saw a black Range Rover driving down his access lane, so one day he decided to yell and swear at it to “get off my f****ing property”.
A scarf-clad woman behind the wheel looked at him, and he realised he was swearing at QE the Second…..
Around 2005, the Queen and her Personal Protection Officer, Dick Griffin, were walking alone one afternoon in the hills near the Scottish royal castle, Balmoral.
Two tourists approached them and engaged in conversation. Griffin recalls: “Two hikers were coming towards us, and the Queen would always stop and say hello.
“They were two Americans on a walking holiday. “It was clear from the moment we stopped that they hadn’t recognised the Queen, which was fine.
“The American gentleman was telling the Queen where they came from, where they were going next, and where they’d been in Britain.
“I could see it coming, and sure enough, he said to Her Majesty: ‘And where do you live?’
“She replied: ‘Well I live in London, but I’ve got a holiday home just the other side of the hills.’
“He said: ‘How long have you been coming up here?’
“She replied: ‘I’ve been coming up here ever since I was a little girl, so over 80 years.’
“You could see the cogs whirring, so he said: ‘Well if you’ve been coming up here for over 80 years, you must have met the Queen.’ “Quick as a flash, she said: ‘I haven’t, but Dick here meets her regularly.’
The hiker then asked Griffin what the monarch was like in person. “Because I was with her a long time, and I knew I could pull her leg, I said: ‘Oh, she can be very cantankerous at times, but she’s got a lovely sense of humour.’
The next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what was happening, he gets his camera, GIVES IT TO THE QUEEN, and says: ‘Can you take a picture of the two of us?’
“Then we swapped places, and I TOOK A PICTURE OF THEM WITH THE QUEEN.
“And we never let on, and we waved goodbye.
“Afterwards, Her Majesty said to me: ‘I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photographs to his friends in America, and hopefully someone tells him who I am.”
Rest in Peace Your Majesty ❤️👑🇬🇧