Queen Elizabeth II's former bodyguard joked with two American hikers calling the Queen "cantankerous" when they did not recognise her.
Richard Griffin, a former royal protection officer for Queen Elizabeth II, told the heartwarming story to Sky News last night, Thursday, September 8. Her Majesty died at Balmoral, Scotland yesterday aged 96.
The news was announced via The Royal Family's Twitter account at around 6.30pm. A statement said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
READ MORE: The day Queen Elizabeth II died as it unfolded
Following the news of her death, stories flooded in about the Queen, who was on the throne for more than 70 years. Mr Griffin recalled the time when he was walking with the Queen close to her Balmoral estate and they were approached by two American hikers.
Mr Griffin told Sky News: "There were two hikers and the Queen would always stop and say hello. It was clear they did not recognise the Queen.
"I could see it coming and sure enough one hiker asked Her Majesty 'where are you from?' She said 'I live in London but I have been coming up to a holiday home just over the hill for over 80 years.' He replied 'well if you have been coming up here for 80 years you must have met the queen?'"
According to Mr Griffin, the Queen replied: "I haven't but Dick here meets her regularly". The American hikers proceeded to ask Mr Griffin what the Queen was like, to which he replied "She can be very cantankerous but she has a lovely sense of humour".
The American hikers then asked the Queen to take their photo standing with Mr Griffin and eventually they had one taken with her as well.
Mr Griffin said after the Americans left the Queen turned to him and said: "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows those photos to his friends in America and hopefully one of them tells them who I am."
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