Boris Johnson has recalled the Queen's "glee" when she found out a world leader had thought her 2012 Olympic opening ceremony stunt was real.
The monarch, then aged 85, melted hearts all over the world when she was filmed with Daniel Craig in the video for the landmark Games.
She was filmed supposedly jumping from a helicopter in a dramatic arrival at the Games, which were held in London, in a sequence directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle.
At a special session in the House of Commons to pay tribute to the Queen, Boris Johnson - who was Mayor of London at the time - told MPs: "I remember her innocent joy more than ten years ago after the opening ceremony of the London Olympics when I told her that the leader of a friendly Middle Eastern country seemed actually to believe that he had jumped out of a helicopter in a pink dress and parachuted into the London Stadium."
![](https://i2-prod.irishmirror.ie/incoming/article27945704.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/4_London-2012-OLYMPICS-GAMES-LONDON-ENGLAND.jpg)
Mr Johnson, who met the Queen for the last time on Tuesday when he resigned as Prime Minister after flying to Balmoral, said the popularity of her Jubilee scene with Paddington Bear had given her equal joy.
He said: "I remember her equal pleasure when I told her she'd been a success in her performance with Paddington Bear."
Mr Johnson, opened his speech - the first time he has addressed the House from the backbenches since quitting the top job - by stating: "A few months ago the BBC came to talk to me about Her Majesty.
"They requested that I should talk about her in the past tense, and I'm afraid to say I choked up, I couldn't go on.
"I'm not easily moved but I was so overcome with sadness that I had to ask them to go away."
Describing their last meeting, Mr Johnson said: "She was so radiant and knowledgeable and fascinated by politics as ever and as wise in her advice as anyone I know."
Buckingham Palace said she was “delighted” to be in the Olympic Opening ceremony, which she called “exceptional”.
The Mirror revealed at the time that the Queen performed her part in one take and her own corgis Monty, Willow and Holly were used in the film.
![](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article27950944.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Queen-Elizabeth-II-death.jpg)
After Slumdog Millionaire director Danny came up with the Bond sequence idea, Locog chairman Lord Coe made a formal approach to Buckingham Palace – and Her Majesty loved the idea.
“It was not a case of having to persuade the Queen to take part,” an official said.
“Her Majesty said ‘yes’ to it straight away. She thought it was such brilliant fun. And when the idea for the format was explained to her she was happy with that, too. When we came to filming it the Queen was a natural. Did it take long? No. Let’s just say we only had to film it once.
“And yes they were the Queen’s corgis. We had others on stand-by if it was required but we never needed to use them.”