For many people, 2012 remains one of the most memorable summers on record.
Andy Murray, Usain Bolt and Mo Farah all made history with gold wins at the Olympics, the band Fun had a hit with We Are Young and Boris Johnson got stuck on a zip wire in Victoria Park while waving Union flags.
But perhaps most iconic of all was the Queen’s surprise cameo alongside Daniel Craig in the Olympics opening ceremony, which took place 13 years ago this week.
And while the Queen’s royal dresser Angela Kelly was initially given credit for persuading Her Majesty to take part, it was another member of the royal household who was brave enough to ask the 86-year-old to ‘jump out of a helicopter’.
Royal author Valentine Low wrote in his 2022 book Courtiers, that Edward Young, who worked as deputy private secretary, was associated with ‘three of the greatest triumphs’ of the Queen’s latter years: her Diamond Jubilee, her state visit to Ireland and her appearance at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
He added: ‘At the opening ceremony, the Queen starred in a memorable film made by director Danny Boyle, in which she welcomed James Bond – as played by Daniel Craig – to Buckingham Palace, and then appeared to parachute from a helicopter into the stadium in time for the opening.
‘It was an audacious stunt, and showed a side of the Queen most people had not seen before.’
The royal author tells the story of how Lord Coe, an old friend of Young’s, had been asked by Boyle if the Queen wanted to appear in a film with James Bond.
The Queen, with her personal footman Paul Whybrew (right), appeared in a film for the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony alongside Daniel Craig playing James Bond
Her Majesty appeared to parachute from a helicopter into the stadium in time for the opening ceremony
The film became one of the most memorable moments of the London 2012 Olympics
Coe approached Young, who arranged for Boyle to visit the Palace to make his case, and is said to have ‘listened sagely, laughed and promised to ask the boss’.
Low wrote: ‘Some versions claim that it was Angela Kelly, the Queen’s dresser, who asked Her Majesty.
‘That is not true; it was Young who asked, while they were at Balmoral. Angela Kelly did have a significant contribution to make, however, as it was she who, on the day of filming, persuaded the Queen to say, “Good evening, Mr Bond.”
‘More important than the question of who persuaded the Queen is this: other senior members of the household thought it was a mad idea and could not possibly work.
‘Only one had the vision, or the humour, or indeed the knowledge of what made the boss tick, to see that it was not as lunatic as it seemed – and that person was Edward Young.’
Palace insiders claimed he bided his time before asking the Queen, aware that he had to pick the right moment.
And while it would be fair to assume the Queen would think he was joking, she apparently got the point right away.
‘Before he’d even finished, she turned to him with a real twinkle in the eye and said: “I know, and then I jump out of the helicopter?”‘, wrote Low.
Royal author Valentine Low wrote that Edward Young, who worked as deputy private secretary, was associated with ‘three of the greatest triumphs’ of the Queen’s latter years: her Diamond Jubilee, her state visit to Ireland and her appearance at the London 2012 Olympics
Senior members of the household thought it was a mad idea and could not possibly work. But the late Queen’s deputy private secretary, Edward Young (pictured), could see that it was not as lunatic as it seemed
Oscar-award winning director Danny Boyle was the mastermind behind the Olympics opening ceremony
The film became one of the most memorable moments of the Olympics, as Daniel Craig made his way into Buckingham Palace, past corgis Monty, Willow and Holly, to be presented to the Queen, who is seen working at her desk, by her personal footman Paul Whybrew.
With her back to the camera, most Brits, including Prince Charles, assumed that the monarch in the peach dress was a body double – perhaps Helen Mirren.
But when she turned to greet the spy with ‘Evening, Mr Bond’, there was no doubt that this was the real McCoy.
The unlikely duo then flew across London in a helicopter emblazoned with a Union flag, before they reached the Olympic Park where in real-time, spectators in the east London stadium looked up to see a twin-engine helicopter.
As the aircraft steadied in the movie sequence, Bond was seen opening the door and appearing to hesitate.
While he dithered, the figure of the Queen pushed past him and dived out into the air, closely followed by 007.
Meanwhile, from the real helicopter above the stadium, the same two figures appeared to plunge to earth.
And, with the familiar Bond theme tune sounding around the stadium, the spotlight shone on the royal box to reveal the Queen in exactly the same dress she wore in the film.
The Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics
The Queen took spectators by surprise as she appeared on a large video screen during the ceremony
Queen Elizabeth took to her seat in the royal box to enjoy the rest of the show – as if nothing had happened
The initial idea was to have Her Majesty arrive to the opening ceremony via the Tube, but security would prove to be too big an issue.
Boyle was apparently so stunned by the Queen’s acceptance of the role that he had to double-check whether or not it was April Fools’ Day.
Describing the day of filming, Boyle revealed that the Queen had been at the dentists all morning and was therefore ‘not in a very good mood’.
‘That put me in my place immediately,’ he quipped.
Boyle said the Queen delivered her lines ‘beautifully’ and had the ‘instincts of a performer’ as she is, after all, ‘on stage’ all the time.
According to royal author Tina Brown, the late Queen had a heartwarming reason for taking on the unexpected role.
‘She thought it would be a great joke to amuse her grandchildren,’ Brown wrote in her book, Palace Papers.
‘Her only real concern was keeping it a secret until the moment she walked out in person after the “leap” to take her place with Philip in the royal box.
The royal box with Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Prince William and Harry, who were standing behind the then-prime minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, were beside themselves and shouted out in unison: ‘Go, Granny!’
The faces of her family members in the crowd were of pure shock, amusement – and slight concern for the 86-year-old, as a delighted Charles and Camilla enjoyed the spectacle
Sebastian Coe, a former Olympian middle-distance runner who headed the successful London 2012 Olympic bid, watched the opening ceremony next to Charles, then Prince of Wales.
Prince William, along with Kate, and Prince Harry were sitting in the row behind.
‘None of them knew about the Queen’s involvement, nor that the film even existed,’ Coe told Brown.
The faces of her family members in the crowd were of pure shock, amusement – and slight concern for the 86-year-old.
William and Harry were beside themselves and shouted out in unison: ‘Go, Granny!’
As they say in the theatre: and… scene.
ELIZABETH II’S BEST ROYAL GAGS
TEA WITH PADDINGTON BEAR
While the late monarch put duty at the centre of her life, she wasn’t afraid to show her funny side on occasion – and in the final months of her life, appeared in a skit alongside Paddington Bear to mark her Platinum Jubilee
In the final months of her life, Her Majesty delighted audiences at the televised BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace after kicking off the festivities with an appearance alongside the fictional character Paddington Bear – in which they both enjoyed a chaotic cream tea at ‘Buckingham Palace‘.
Paddington and the Queen were pictured sitting opposite each other in ornate chairs at a table laid for afternoon tea in an opulent room.
Accident-prone Paddington caused mayhem by accidentally depriving the understanding sovereign of another cup of tea and spraying cream from a chocolate éclair over a Palace footman.
The Queen’s secret sketch was the result of months of planning, and saw the bear, in his trademark duffle coat, show the monarch how he ensured he always had his favourite treat on him, just in case, lifting up his red felt hat to reveal his marmalade snack.
Her Majesty responded by revealing ‘So do I’ before opening her bag and declaring: ‘I keep mine in here’, to show her very own ready-made supply of the bread and orange preserve staple.
The bear from deepest darkest Peru congratulated the Queen on her reign of 70 years, saying: ‘Happy Jubilee Ma’am. And thank you. For everything.’ The modest Queen replied: ‘That’s very kind.’
Filmed at Windsor Castle, the Queen spent around half a day filming the secretly-pre-recorded humorous two-and-a-half-minute sequence, according to The Telegraph, and the comic sketch was a surprise even to some of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren watching the scenes.
ELIZABETH 007
She was gamely ‘parachuted’ into the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremony at London 2012, after a meeting with James Bond at Buckingham Palace – with corgis in tow of course (pictured)
The Queen showed the world she was still full of surprises in 2012, when she agreed to take part in a comedy skit to open the London Olympics.
A clip played during the ceremony showed the Queen, then 86, being picked up at Buckingham Palace by Daniel Craig, playing James Bond, and then being ‘parachuted’ in the stadium for the opening ceremony.
The recorded sequence opened at Buckingham Palace, where a tuxedo-wearing Craig as 007 was presented to the Queen by her personal footman as she was writing a letter and training her corgis, Monty, Willow and Holl,y to roll over.
After greeting the fictitious spy with an ‘Evening, Mr Bond,’ the Queen, wearing a glitzy pink dress, was escorted out of the Palace onto a helicopter by Craig.
At the time, Danny Boyle, who directed the short clip, said: ‘The Queen made herself more accessible than ever before.’
It was her first-ever film role, and it was a comedy hit, proving the elderly monarch had a great sense of humour.
To this day, the clip, which is available on Youtube, has been watched more than 51 million times across the globe.
QUEEN OF ONE-LINERS
During the 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall, the Queen made everyone laugh when she asked world Leaders: ‘Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourselves?’
At the 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall, the Queen, then 95, was dancing circles around world leaders, showcasing her wit and her good humour.
As she posed for pictures with the likes of Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the monarch was heard saying: ‘Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourselves?’ which provoked laughter around her.
It was her first major public event together since the funeral of Prince Philip, the Queen’s husband of more than seven decades, which made the joke even more poignant.
‘THIS IS MORE UNUSUAL’
During the G7 summit, the Queen cut a cake to mark her official birthday with a ceremonial sword
Also during the Cornwall G7, the Queen showed she had lost nothing of her panache when cutting a cake with a ceremonial sword with her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall and her grandson Prince William’s wife Kate.
She had been presented with a giant cake in Cornwall to celebrate her official birthday and was given the sword to cut it.
When a helpful aide told her ‘there is a knife if you want it’, the Queen replied: ‘I know there is, but this is more unusual’, leaving her audience in stitches.
