Queen 'put herself up' for 2012 James Bond sketch says writer

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, an English screenwriter behind the James Bond sketch and, more recently, the Paddington Bear scene for the Party at the Palace as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, described the shock and awe of the crew when the late monarch said she “was game” for the skit with Daniel Craig. Mr Cottrell-Boyce explained how the crew behind the opening ceremony had assumed the Queen would not be available for the scene and had prepared to use a double, but that the monarch quickly revealed that she wanted to partake of it. He later reported that the Queen told Danny Boyle, the director of the sketch, that she thought she “should have a line”.  

Mr Cottrell-Boyce said: “Well, first of all, the idea was not mine. It was Mark Tilsey’s, who was the designer for the Olympic opening ceremony. 

“When he brought it in, we all went: ‘Well, we will never pull that off’. Nobody had a better idea so the producer went to the Palace to ask permission. 

“She said: ‘This will be a really boring meeting. No-one needs to come with me. I just need permission to find out what she is wearing on the day and take some photographs so we can build a location that looks a bit like it.’ 

“And the Queen’s dresser, this remarkable woman, Angela Kelly, said ‘Oh, why are you doing all this?’ The producer said: ‘So we can make it look like it is the Queen.’ 

“And she went: ‘Oh, the Queen wants to do it.’ The producer came back and went: ‘What?’ 

“So, [the Queen] put herself up for that. You know, she was game. She wanted to be in that sketch. And, in fact, on the day that we were filming, she said to Danny Boyle: ‘I think I should have a line.’ 

“So, she bagged that line. There was not a line in the script. She improvised.” 

During the sketch, Daniel Craig’s James Bond arrives at Buckingham Palace in a black cab before being escorted alongside two of the Queen’s corgis to the monarch. 

Mr Bond then greets the Queen, who makes Ian Fleming’s 007 wait while she finishes off a letter, before she says: “Good evening, Mr Bond.” 

In what is now viewed as evidence of the Queen’s great humour, the scene evolves into a helicopter ride from Buckingham Palace to the Olympic Park, where stunt doubles parachute out of the aircraft into the stadium. 

As the doubles landed, the Queen then emerged from within the Park to officially open the London Olympic Games 2012. 

The country has now moved into mourning following Her Majesty’s death on Thursday afternoon. 

Buckingham Palace have said there will be a period of mourning to be observed by members of the family and the royal household until a week after the funeral, the date of which has not yet been confirmed.

DON’T MISS: 

King Charles III: What could the era be called now? [INSIGHT] 
Piers Morgan fumes at Putin’s condolences for Queen ‘Stick it’ [REPORT]
Bitter Rejoiners complain they weren’t given time to mourn leaving EU [REVEAL] 

There will be gun salutes at London’s Hyde Park and at the Tower of London and the bells at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s will toll. At Windsor Castle, the Sebastopol Bell, captured during the 19th Century Crimean War and which is only struck to mark the death of the sovereign, will toll.

Regular business in parliament was replaced with a special session, from 1100 GMT, for lawmakers to pay tribute to the Queen. Parliament will also convene on Saturday, something it rarely does, and will approve a message of condolence to the king.

News that the Queen’s health was deteriorating emerged shortly after midday on Thursday when a palace statement said she had been put under medical supervision, prompting her family to rush to Scotland.

The Queen had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace had called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements. Her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in 2021.

READ NEXT: 

Lord Heseltine in tears as he recalls emotional moment with Queen
Prince Harry’s lonely departure ‘shows clear distance’ with family 
Have Your Say: Should Liz Truss make a bank holiday to celebrate Queen
Queen’s mourners in tears as they flock to Windsor to pay respects 
What was the Queen’s favourite tipple? How to make with 3 ingredients

Source: Read Full Article