Featured Image Credit: Paul Marriott/Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: The Queen, Royal Family, UK News, Cars
Daisy Phillipson
Topics: The Queen, Royal Family, UK News, Cars
The Queen leaves her passengers in 'hysterics' over the unusual nickname she's given to her SatNav, it has been revealed.
There aren't many people who can order Her Majesty around – the woman's the only Brit who's allowed to drive without a valid licence or a licence plate.
A royal insider told the Mail Plus: "The Queen doesn’t tolerate anyone lecturing her while driving, not even her late husband could tell her what to do."
But there's one 'person' she will listen to, and that is her GPS.
Advert
The source revealed that the 96-year-old finds the female voice of her navigation system rather amusing, and she's since given it the moniker 'the woman under the bonnet'.
They added: "A few years ago she started calling her 'the woman under the bonnet'. It was very funny.
"Of course she knows very well where the voice comes from. But Her Majesty is very sharp. She has a brilliant sense of humour and a very quick wit.
"It always tickles people to hear her remark 'it’s the woman under the bonnet again' when she hears her voice."
Advert
Although the Queen has the choice of being chauffeured from A to B in the monarch's fleet of vehicles, which include Bentleys and Rolls Royces, she has famously enjoyed getting behind the wheel.
One anecdote that has made the headlines over the years involves King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who visited Her Majesty in 1998.
Former British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles told The Sunday Times that the Saudi royal had never seen a woman drive before as they were banned at the time from driving in his country.
As a result, he was shocked to see the Queen of all people taking control of a Land Rover – with him in the front seat.
Advert
Cowper-Coles said: "As instructed, the crown prince climbed into the front seat of the front Land Rover, with his interpreter in the seat behind.
"To his surprise, the Queen climbed into the driving seat, turned the ignition and drove off.
"Women were not yet allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and Abdullah was not used to being driven by a woman, let alone a queen."
.webp)
While Queen Liz enjoys her cars, in 2019 it was reported that she'd decided to give up driving on public roads after her late husband Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh gave up his licence.
Advert
The decision came not long after the prince was involved in a car accident near the Sandringham Estate where a woman in the other vehicle was left injured.
A spokesperson from Buckingham Palace said at the time: "After careful consideration The Duke of Edinburgh has taken the decision to voluntarily surrender his driving licence."