When Queen Elizabeth pretended to be 'ordinary woman' for American tourist

Queen Elizabeth II once pretended to be non-royal for American visitors outside Balmoral Castle.

Her Majesty, who was taking a stroll outside the Palace alongside former protection officer Richard Griffin, came across two tourists who had no idea about her identity.

Speaking about the incident, Mr Griffin tells Sky News : "There were two hikers coming towards us and the Queen would always stop and say hello. It was two Americans on a walking holiday and it was clear they hadn't recognised her, which was fine.

“The American man asked her if she lived in the area to which she replied that she did indeed have a house nearby.

"She said that she lived in London but had a house just over the hill, and he asked how often she had been coming up here.

Mr Griffin continued: "She said she'd been coming up for more than 80 years and you could see the cogs were ticking. He said: 'Well if you've been coming up here for 80 years, you must have met the Queen?' As quick as a flash, she said 'Well I haven't but Dick here meets her regularly.' So the guy asked me what she was like.

"And because I was with her a long time, I could pull her leg, so I said she could be very cantankerous at times, but she's got a lovely sense of humour. Anyway the next thing I knew, this guy comes round, puts his arm around my shoulder, and before I could see what is happening, he gives his camera to the Queen and asks her to take a photo of us,” he added.

"Anyway, we swapped places, I took a photo of them with the Queen, we never let on and we waved goodbye. Then Her Majesty said to me that she'd love to be a fly on the wall when he shows these photos to his American friends and hopefully someone tells him who I am,” the Queen quipped.