The Queen is often reported to have a wicked sense of humour, but she has also fallen foul of the odd prank herself during 75 years on the throne. One such occasion, an April Fool's gag executed by her senior dresser Angela Kelly, has been retold in the latter's book, "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe."
Kelly has held her current role for 20 years and worked within the Royal Family for more than a quarter of a century, but she was jokingly threatened with the sack after tricking the long-reigning monarch during a tour of Australia in 2006, as reported by MyLondon. Both the Queen and Kelly had been told they would see some kookaburra birds during their royal visit Down Under and the latter then spotted an opportunity for a bit of light-hearted fun that she knew her boss would appreciate after the initial shock.
Kelly went out and bought a stuffed toy kookaburra and placed it in a cage on the balcony outside of the royal suite the Queen was staying in. Taking up what happened next, the dresser recalled: "The Queen looked outside and shouted 'It's a kookaburra!'
"I went to open the cage and she said loudly, ‘No! Don’t do that! It will fly away!’ Turning to her Majesty while trying to keep a straight face, I solemnly told her it was dead.
"She looked horrified as I walked towards her with outstretched arms and, as she took the bird from my hands, she realised I had been winding her up. 'April Fool!' I said with a mischievous grin, and she only had two words for me, 'You're sacked!'
"I was laughing uncontrollably as Her Majesty turned to His Royal Highness [Prince Philip] and said 'Do you know what she has just done to me? Angela has had me!'."
Kelly, originally from Liverpool, added the she has shared many a laugh with the Queen down the years, saying: "We have a lot of fun together. The Queen has a wicked sense of humour and is a great mimic. She can do all accents, including mine."
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