Queen Elizabeth was known for her sense of humor — here are 10 of her funniest moments (2024)

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In 2007, the Queen poked fun at President George W. Bush when he accidentally said she had celebrated the US bicentennial in 1776 instead of 1976.

After Bush misspoke, adding 200 years to Queen Elizabeth's age at a welcome ceremony at the White House, he winked and said, "She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."

At a dinner hosted by the British ambassador's residence two days later, the Queen joked, "I wondered whether I should start this toast by saying, 'When I was here in 1776 ...'"

"Your Majesty, I can't top that one," Bush responded in his toast.

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Queen Elizabeth made Prince Harry crack a smile at a military parade in 2006.

Queen Elizabeth attended the Sovereign's Parade at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to see Prince Harry's passing-out ceremony, during which he was commissioned as an Army officer. As she walked by the line of soldiers, Harry couldn't help but grin.

Over his 10 years in the British Army, Harry served two tours in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of captain.

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When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toasted to Queen Elizabeth's 60-year reign, she responded, "Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister of Canada, for making me feel so old."

Trudeau toasted the Queen at a gala for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2015, pointing out that he was the 12th Canadian prime minister to hold office during her reign. In turn, Queen Elizabeth joked that he had made her feel old.

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Royal photographer Chris Jackson captured the moment a knife got stuck in a cake that Queen Elizabeth was cutting, causing the royals to burst out laughing.

At the 100-year celebration of the Women's Institute in 2015, Queen Elizabeth cut the ceremonial first slice of cake — or at least, she tried to.

"If you look closely, you can see the knife stuck in the cake," Jackson told Insider. "It's a great example of when things don't always go to plan, it often makes the best photographs. Everyone bursts into laughter, and it's suddenly a relaxed moment."

Jackson said Princess Anne finally managed to dislodge the knife.

"It's one of those things where you might not know exactly what's going on if you look at this picture," he said. "But if you look at the detail a little bit closely, you can probably figure it out."

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Jackson also photographed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip making the acquaintance of Donna the elephant while visiting a UK zoo in 2017.

"What I loved about this particular picture is that it's just after the Queen's fed the banana to Donna, but she's anticipating her next one," Jackson told Insider. "And she's got her trunk absolutely straight outstretched, keen to snuffle another banana from the Queen."

Jackson said Donna's enthusiasm made the zookeepers a bit nervous.

"Another bit of the hidden detail that you probably can't see: There's quite a few zookeepers looking slightly concerned that a huge animal is going to suddenly rush forward," he said.

Thankfully, Donna kept a respectful distance from the monarch.

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When London hosted the 2012 Olympics, the Queen participated in a skit with "James Bond" actor Daniel Craig in which she appeared to jump out of a helicopter.

The helicopter jump was actually performed by stuntman Gary Connery, but Queen Elizabeth "was very amused by the idea and agreed immediately," royal dressmaker Angela Kelly wrote in her memoir, "The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe."

"I asked then if she would like a speaking part," Kelly wrote. "Without hesitation, Her Majesty replied: 'Of course I must say something. After all, he is coming to rescue me.'"

In an appearance on the BBC's "The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show," Craig said that the Queen showed off her improvisation skills during their scenes together.

"She literally kind of said, 'Would you like me to pretend to be writing?' And he's like, 'Yes, that's great, that's great.' So she sort of acted a bit. That was all her own stuff. It was amazing."

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When the deputy first minister of Ireland asked Queen Elizabeth if she was well during a 2016 visit to Northern Ireland, Her Majesty quipped, "Well, I'm still alive, anyway."

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness greeted the Queen by asking, "Hello, are you well?"

"Thank you very much," she answered. "Well, I'm still alive, anyway."

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Her Majesty dropped the mic in a promotional video for the 2016 Invictus Games with Prince Harry.

In the video, Prince Harry receives a competitive video message from Michelle Obama ahead of the 2016 Invictus Games.

"Hey, Prince Harry, remember when you told us to bring it at the Invictus Games?" she says.

"Careful what you wish for," President Barack Obama says, as a soldier in the background mimes dropping a mic.

When Harry shows the message to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth responds with, "Oh, really, please," prompting him to drop a "mic" of his own.

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The Queen reportedly showed off her dark sense of humor at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016.

At the flower show, herb gardener Jekka McVicar told Queen Elizabeth that lily of the valley flowers had historically been used as a poison.

"I've been given two bunches this week," the Queen reportedly told McVicar, according to Hello! magazine. "Perhaps they want me dead."

The Queen elicited laughs from world leaders during a photo-op at the 2021 G7 Summit when she asked, "Are you supposed to be looking as if you're enjoying yourself?"

In attendance at the G7 Summit were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and US President Joe Biden.