Queen Elizabeth II was the longest serving monarch of the United Kingdom. The queen’s death on September 8, 2022 brought shock waves throughout the world.

But did you know that there were a number of fun facts about the late British monarch that might have escaped your curiosity lens?

In this article, we look at the top 10 fun facts you probably didn’t know about the woman who saw medieval Britain transformed into modern Britain.

(1) The Queen had nicknames

The Queen, like most people, grew up with a slew of nicknames that were rarely known to the public.

The Queen was called “Lilibet” by her family because she couldn’t pronounce her name well at her tender age. Instead of “Elizabeth”, the young princess called herself “Lilibet”. It later became her moniker and it found favor on the lips of her close family.

Another nickname used to call the Queen was “Cabbage”. This was the name her late husband, Prince Philip – the Duke of Edinburgh, used to call her.

The Queen later had to make do with yet another nickname, this time, from her great-grandchildren. In an interview with the BBC, the Duchess of Cambridge revealed that  Prince George, her son with Prince William, at the age of two-and-half called the queen “Gan-gan”.

The curly hair of the Queen would fetch her yet another nicky. Queen Elizabeth’s uncle Edward called her “Shirley Temple” because of her “dumpy” frame and curly hair. This was revealed in letters published in 1988. The Queen was called as such because her hair looked like that of the child star.

(2) She and her sister once partied under disguise

The Second World War was one of the world’s devastating wars to strike Europe and the world. It was a great sense of relief for Britain and the allied forces when Nazi Germany and allies were finally defeated and the war brought to an end on May 8, 1945.

The British public celebrated the end to the war in massive gatherings on the street. Queen Elizabeth II (Princess Elizabeth at that time) secured the permission of her parents to join the jubilation in town.

The two princesses did so under a disguise to escape the prying eyes of the public. 

“I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief,” read an Instagram post by the royal family.

Elizabeth and Margaret’s escapade has even been dramatized.

(3) Her tiara got torn on her wedding day

Queen Elizabeth II had her tiara torn during her wedding to Prince Philip. A tiara is a jewelled ornamental band worn on the front of a woman’s hair.

The Queen felt uneasy such that court jeweler was summoned with immediate effect to get the diamond tiara repaired. After a brief moment, it was successfully patched up.

(4) She owned more than 30 corgis throughout her life.

The Queen’s love for corgis was legendary. It was said that in 1933, Elizabeth’s father – King George VI – brought home the royal family’s first corgi. A corgi is a dog of a short-legged breed with a fox-like head.

The Queen was also given a corgi as a birthday gift when she turned 18. She named her Susan. This was disclosed by the Associated Press.  Susan later birthed many of the corgis at the palace.

(5) She owned all the Swans and dolphins that swim in UK waters

According to the official royal family website, the British Monarch claimed “all mute swans” in the country in the early 12th century. This was a time in history that swans were considered a delicacy in Britain.

In the 21st century, not much has changed except that the Queen doesn’t eat the birds. But she does own them.

The Queen’s Swan Marker chairs the Swan Upping annually to count the number of birds and ensure that they are healthy.

Besides, the queen may also claim all “fishes royal”. That’s, whales, dolphins, porpoises and sturgeon that are in the waters of the UK are under the ownership of Her Majesty.

(6) She sent a message to the moon

The queen is among the few in the world whose words have had interplanetary exposure. The queen was among world leaders who were given the privilege to write “messages of goodwil” to be sent to the moon.

These messages were embroiled onto a small silicon disc. The disc sits on the surface of the moon to present day. According to NASA, the coin was placed under the US flag planted at the landing site.

“On behalf of the British people I salute the skill and courage which have brought man to the moon. May this endeavor increase the knowledge and wellbeing of mankind.”

(7) The Queen reportedly used her purse to communicate secretly with her staff

You may have wondered why the queen carried purse around. After all, the queen would not buy anything by herself so why did she burden herself with a purse? Perhaps, fashion or femininity was partly to blame. But what if I told you that the queen used her purse to send coded messages to her staff?

According a 2020 report by the Telegraph, the queen reportedly used her handbag furtively to communicate to her staff about her willingness to exit meetings she felt uncomfortable.

For instance, if the queen were to dump her handbag on a table in the middle of a dinner, it was a coded message to her staff that she wanted the event to end in the next 5 minutes.

And if the queen were to leave her bag on the floor, it would mean that she wanted to be salvaged from her current discourse.

(8) She could imitate the sound of a landing Concorde jet

Queen Elizabeth wasn’t always stone-faced. She was a mix of fun and laughter too. Her passion for mimicry was unmatched. Per accounts by her chaplain Bishop Michael Mann, the queen could imitate the Concorde jet landing. This, he revealed to the Associated Press (AP).

“The queen imitating the Concorde landing is one of the funniest things you could see.” he told AP.

(9) She reportedly trolled a group of tourists who couldn’t recognize her

If you cannot make out the queen right at her doorstep, then you deserve to be trolled by Her Majesty.

An account from one of her security guards said that there was a moment that a group of tourists who came to Balmoral castle could not recognize the queen because she was wearing a headscarf.

Funny enough, the tourists asked the headscarfed monarch if she had ever met the queen.

In response, the queen answered “No”. The queen then pointed to a policeman close by and said, “But he has”, implying she (the queen) hadn’t ever met the queen (herself) but the policeman knew the queen.

(10) She had her own Barbie doll

The queen has her own Barbie, a fashion doll made by the American toy manufacturer, Mattel.

The royal Barbie doll was made in celebration of the Queen’s 70th anniversary. The doll was made in the image of the queen.

“The Queen is the perfect addition to the Barbie Tribute Collection, intended to honor women whose contributions have had a great impact. We’re proud to celebrate her historic milestone and encourage kids to learn more about her legacy,” said Lisa McKnight, the company’s global head of Barbie and dolls to USA Today.