You would imagine that The Queen is constantly surrounded by a wall of towering and imposing bodyguards, but that’s just not the case. Her Majesty has always been a great lover of the outdoors and is well-known for being someone who values her space and privacy.
Every Christmas, The Queen moves the royal household to Norfolk where she stays from December through to February but she makes other regular visits throughout the year. While she is there, the monarch is known to relish her freedom and often goes for long walks or drops in at local village shops for a bit of shopping.
Members of the public are used to seeing the 96-year-old monarch dressed in a brightly coloured matching hat and coat combination so it is entirely possible that she could fade into the background when she appears out of context.
And that is exactly what happened to an unwitting elderly lady when she came across The Queen walking into a small village shop wearing normal clothing and a headscarf.
The brilliant story of how Her Majesty avoided detection when she ventured into a village shop in Norfolk was retold by artist Juliet Pannett, who was herself told the story by the Balmoral Estate while she painted her.
Pannett recalled that The Queen was just about to take Afternoon Tea at Sandringham House when she realised they had no cake.
She said that the monarch donned her trademark headscarf and walked towards a village shop to pick up some cake.
It was said that an elderly lady spoke to her as she was about to enter and said: "Good heavens, you look just like the Queen." Her Majesty replied with "How reassuring," before selecting some cake for tea.
Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .
While that story is almost unbelievable, it is not the first time that members of the public have come face to face with The Queen and failed to recognise her.
One year, Her Majesty successfully managed to go unnoticed by a group of American tourists as she went on a walk near the Balmoral Estate in Scotland.
Richard Griffin, a former royal protection officer, told the Times about the encounter, as well as the Queen’s brilliant response.
Griffin explained that the Queen was out walking in a simple headscarf and tweed coat when a group of tourists approached the Queen and asked her whether she lived locally, to which she responded that she had a house nearby.
The group are then said to have asked whether she had actually met the Queen herself, to which The Queen’s well-renowned sense of humour came to the fore.
“No, but this policeman has,” she reportedly answered, gesturing to her protection officer. The group then went on about their business, entirely unaware that they themselves had now met, and spoken to the Queen.
Another hilarious story came from Her Majesty's visit to The Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1991. As she arrived, she was told by a guard that she couldn’t come in.
The guard reportedly said: "Sorry love, you can't come in without a sticker."
Sandringham House, unfazed by the incident and showcasing her famous sense of humour, replied: "I think if you check, I will be allowed to come in!" The guard later revealed that he thought she was "some old dear" who was lost.
