Queen Elizabeth’s Cheeky 2012 Olympic Stunt Was Kept Secret From Everyone — Including the Royals
Queen Elizabeth’s unforgettable 2012 Olympic moment shocked not just viewers at home, but even members of her own family
Even after all these years, Queen Elizabeth has managed to keep surprising royal watchers in different ways. The late Queen has proved time and again that her sense of humour is unmatchable, especially during the 2012 Olympics. She participated in the opening ceremony of the sports event, and apparently, even the royal family was unaware of the stunt.
Elizabeth pulled off one of the biggest surprise moments during the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, and barely anyone saw it coming. Millions watched in shock as the late monarch appeared alongside James Bond in a sketch that ended with her seemingly parachuting into the stadium for the night's celebrations. And the secret ran even deeper than people realised.
According to former communications and press secretary Ailsa Anderson, the stunt was kept so tightly under wraps that even members of the Queen’s own family reportedly did not know about it. Moreover, her beloved corgis were in on it as well. Anderson told Hello!, “Danny Boyle approached the palace, and the Queen was asked, and she didn't hesitate; she said yes! It was obviously all under wraps; no one knew about it, including the family!” Watch the video here.
She said the surprise was what really made the moment, pointing to the reactions from Zara and Mike Tindall, who looked genuinely stunned when it seemed like the Queen was parachuting from the helicopter. According to her, nobody knew the stunt was coming, which made the crowd’s reaction even better. Anderson added, “I think it just demonstrated how the late Queen would take chances and also had this extraordinary sense of humour. The Paddington sketch she did at her Platinum Jubilee showed that cheeky sense of humour and her willingness to put her country before herself.”
Emily Nash, HELLO!’s Royal Editor, who was reporting from the stadium that night, recalled the crowd reacting instantly to the stunt. According to her, there was a noticeable gasp around the arena when it looked like “the Queen” had jumped from the helicopter. Prince Harry and William were also surprised on the day, with Harry recalling, “Both of us were slightly surprised by our grandmother's secret hobby of parachuting, which went down unbelievably well.”
He also revealed that the Queen was asked to appear in the next James Bond movie. “She did such a good performance that she has now been asked to star in the next Bond film. You don't expect the Queen to do something like that, [but] what she does in her spare time is her spare time.” William also chimed in, saying, “To be honest, we were kept completely in the dark about it; that's how big the secret was.” As one netizen promptly noted, "The Queen with James Bond. Can't get any more British than that." It just cannot now, can it?
